Sajjan Kumar News / 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, Sajjan Kumar sentenced to life imprisonment

Sajjan Kumar News: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court has sentenced Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, convicted in an important case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, to life imprisonment. This decision is a historic moment for the Indian judicial system, as the victim families had to wait for four decades for justice in this case.

Judicial process and determination of punishment

The court convicted Sajjan Kumar on February 12 and reserved its decision on the sentence on February 21. During the hearing, the victim's side had demanded the death penalty for Sajjan Kumar, but the court sentenced him to life imprisonment. This decision has also raised questions on the need to speed up the judicial process, as the victims of the 1984 riots were waiting for justice for a long time.

The court had directed the Tihar Jail administration to conduct a mental and psychological evaluation of Sajjan Kumar, as the Supreme Court had said such a report was necessary in death penalty cases. According to the Indian Penal Code, the minimum punishment for murder is life imprisonment, while the maximum punishment can be death penalty.

Saraswati Vihar murder case and Sajjan Kumar's involvement

This case is related to the heinous crimes that took place in Saraswati Vihar area of ​​Delhi, in which Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh were murdered. At that time Sajjan Kumar was a Congress MP from Outer Delhi Lok Sabha seat and he was accused of inciting the mob and being directly or indirectly involved in the violence.

Why was death penalty demanded?

Sajjan Kumar is already serving life sentence in another case of riots in Delhi Cantt area. In this new case also, the victim's side and Delhi Police had considered it in the category of "rarest of rare" and demanded death penalty for him. Police said that the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were not just murders but crimes against humanity.

Police's argument: "A case more serious than Nirbhaya case"

Delhi Police said in its written arguments presented in the court that this case is more heinous than the Nirbhaya case. According to the police, "In the Nirbhaya case, a woman was targeted, whereas in the 1984 riots, the entire Sikh community was targeted. It was not just a riot, but an organized massacre."

1984 Anti-Sikh Riots: A Historical Tragedy

After the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on 31 October 1984, violence broke out against Sikhs across the country. Especially in Delhi, thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed, their houses were burnt and women were subjected to inhuman atrocities. Many big political leaders were said to be involved in this violence, but justice could not be given for decades.

Is this decision a big step towards justice?

Although Sajjan Kumar has been sentenced to life imprisonment, the victims still feel that justice is incomplete. They can still go to the Supreme Court and demand his death sentence.

This decision has also highlighted the problem of delay in the Indian judicial system. This decision, which came after 40 years, has given a big message that no criminal can be considered above the law, no matter how influential he is.

Conclusion

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots are a dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy, which cannot be forgotten. The process of justice has moved forward with Sajjan Kumar being sentenced to life imprisonment, but the fight for justice of the victim families and the Sikh community is not over yet. They are still hoping that they will get complete justice and other culprits of this massacre will also be punished for their crimes.