1984 Anti-Sikh Riots: Sajjan Kumar Claims Innocence, Alleges Political Vendetta In Delhi Court

Court recorded Kumar’s statement in the cases concerning the killings of Sohan Singh, his son-in-law Avtar Singh, and the alleged burning alive of Gurcharan Singh during the violence;

Update: 2025-07-07 12:08 GMT

Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar on Monday contended his innocence before a Delhi Court in connection with two cases relating to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri, alleging that the accusations against him are "politically motivated" and based on a biased investigation.

Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of Rouse Avenue Court recorded Kumar’s statement in the cases concerning the killings of Sohan Singh, his son-in-law Avtar Singh, and the alleged burning alive of Gurcharan Singh during the violence that erupted in the aftermath of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination.

Appearing physically before the Court, Kumar claimed that "no witness" had named him during the initial investigations and that his name surfaced decades later without credible evidence.

“The case against me is false and politically driven. There is not an iota of evidence. I organised peace marches and blood donation camps to restore harmony during that period,” Kumar told the court.

He also informed the Court that he had voluntarily undergone a lie detector test in an effort to prove his innocence.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted in 2015, had filed two FIRs against Kumar following complaints of targeted violence in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri. According to the prosecution, Sohan Singh and Avtar Singh were killed on November 1, 1984, in Janakpuri, while Gurcharan Singh was allegedly burnt alive in Vikaspuri the next day.

The Court has now posted the matter for further hearing on July 29.

Previously

In February, the Delhi Court had convicted former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar for the murder of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi’s Saraswati Vihar.

This marked Kumar’s second conviction in relation to the riots, with two more cases still pending against him.
According to the complainant, filed by Jaswant Singh’s wife, on November 1, 1984, a mob attacked their house, killing her husband and son, injuring her and others, and destroying their property. She had later identified Kumar in a magazine photograph as the person instigating the mob.
The Court had found sufficient material to form a prima facie opinion that Kumar not only participated in the attack but also led the mob. Kumar was charged in 2021 for offences under Sections 147, 148, 149, 302, 308, 323, 395, 397, 427, 436, and 440 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, charges under Sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC were dropped.
Notably, Kumar was previously convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court in 2018 for the killings of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar Part-I, Palam Colony, and the burning of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar Part-II. His appeal against this conviction is pending before the Supreme Court.
Additionally, two appeals challenging his acquittal in separate riot cases by trial courts are pending before the Delhi High Court. In trial courts, Kumar faces two ongoing cases, including one related to violence near a Gurdwara in Gulab Bagh, Nawada, for which he was put on trial in August 2023. Another case pertains to riots in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri.
According to the Nanavati Commission report, 587 FIRs were registered in Delhi in connection with the 1984 riots, which resulted in the deaths of 2,733 people. Of these, 240 FIRs were closed as "untraced," while 250 cases ended in acquittals. Out of 587 cases, only 28 resulted in convictions, leading to the conviction of around 400 individuals. About 50 people, including Kumar, were convicted of murder. Currently, approximately 20 riot-related cases remain pending before various courts in Delhi.

Case Title: State v. Sajjan Kumar (Ex MP)

[Inputs: PTI] 

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