Former Congress MP cleared of charges linked to alleged incitement of violence; victims’ families say justice remains elusive
A Delhi court on Thursday acquitted former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in a case related to the alleged incitement of violence in the Janakpuri and Vikaspuri areas during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh orally pronounced the acquittal, noting that a detailed order outlining the reasoning will be issued later. The case pertains to incidents in which at least two people were killed in Janakpuri on November 1, 1984.
Defence argument accepted by court
In his defence, Sajjan Kumar maintained that he was innocent and had no role in the alleged violence. He told the court that he was never present at the scene and could not have been involved “even in his dreams.” Kumar also argued that there was no evidence on record to substantiate the allegations against him.
His counsel contended that the prosecution failed to establish Kumar’s presence at the spot and pointed out that his name was added to the case after a delay of nearly 36 years, undermining the credibility of the charges.
Victims’ families express anguish
The acquittal triggered emotional reactions from families of the victims, many of whom said justice had once again been denied.
“We haven’t received justice. We lost our husbands, fathers, and brothers. Ten members of my family were killed,” a family member said, breaking down outside the court.
Expressing anger and despair, the victims’ kin said they would continue their legal battle and approach the Delhi High Court to challenge the verdict.
Background of the case
In August 2023, a Delhi court had framed charges against Kumar for rioting and promoting enmity in connection with the Janakpuri and Vikaspuri incidents, while discharging him of murder and criminal conspiracy charges in these cases.
The cases arose from two FIRs registered in February 2015 by a Special Investigation Team. One FIR related to the killing of Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh in Janakpuri on November 1, 1984, while the second concerned the killing of Gurcharan Singh in Vikaspuri on November 2, 1984.
Sajjan Kumar remains in jail
Despite Thursday’s acquittal, Sajjan Kumar continues to remain behind bars. In February last year, a trial court sentenced him to life imprisonment for the killing of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh during the riots in Delhi’s Saraswati Vihar area.
The court ruled that while the murders involved “two innocent persons,” the case did not qualify as the “rarest of rare” to justify the death penalty. Kumar’s appeal against the sentence is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
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