1984 anti-Sikh riots case verdict: Members of Sikh community demand death for Sajjan Kumar

New Delhi, Feb 25 (PTI) Some members of the Sikh community on Tuesday demanded death penalty for former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar ahead of the verdict by a special court in a1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja is likely to pronounce the order on the quantum of punishment for Kumar in relation to the alleged killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in Delhi’s Saraswati Vihar on November 1, 1984.

Gurlad Singh, who was leading the protest outside the court premises, said, “Four decades have passed now, and it is judiciary’s phrase that justice delayed is justice denied. We demand only the death penalty for Sajjan Kumar.”

Singh said the crime fell under the “rarest of the rare” category as the 1984 riots were a “pre-planned genocide”.

The Sikh community, he said, was still mourning the loss of their loved ones, and hoped the sentencing bring would bring some sort of closure and justice for the victims and their families.

The court on February 12 convicted Kumar for the offence and sought a report from Tihar Central Jail authorities on his psychiatric and psychological evaluation in view of a Supreme Court order asking for such a report in cases attracting capital punishment.

The minimum punishment for murder is life imprisonment whereas the maximum is death.

Though Punjabi Bagh Police Station registered the case, a special investigation team later took over the investigation.

On December 16, 2021, the court framed charges against Kumar, finding a “prima facie” case against him.

The prosecution alleged a huge mob, armed with deadly weapons, resorted to large-scale looting, arson and destruction of properties of Sikhs to avenge the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.f