Sajjan Kumar, the former Congress leader, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday by a special court for his role in the murder of a father-son duo during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi's Saraswati Vihar.
The court had convicted Kumar on February 12 and, as per a Supreme Court order, requested a psychiatric and psychological evaluation report from Tihar Central Jail authorities due to the nature of the crime, which could attract a death penalty.

While the minimum punishment for murder is life imprisonment, the maximum penalty for the crime is death.
After the court’s decision, Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) General Secretary Jagdip Singh Kahlon expressed disappointment over the life imprisonment sentence given to Sajjan Kumar.

He said, "We are upset that Sajjan Kumar was not sentenced to death. If he had been given the death penalty, we would have felt more satisfied. Nevertheless, after 41 years, even with life imprisonment, justice has prevailed, and I respect the court’s verdict," as per ANI.

Sikh leader Gurlad Singh also conveyed his displeasure, stating that only the "death penalty" would be acceptable. He added, "We are not happy with the court’s ruling. We will urge the government to appeal to a higher court and seek the death penalty for Sajjan Kumar," according to ANI.

The woman who lost her husband and son in a mob attack during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which were allegedly instigated by Sajjan Kumar, asked for the death penalty for him.

The riots broke out after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by her Sikh bodyguards. This happened after Operation Blue Star, a military action earlier that year aimed at removing Sikh militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

In court, senior lawyer HS Phoolka, representing the victim's family, said that Kumar, as the leader of the mob, encouraged the violence, resulting in brutal killings. He argued that Kumar deserved the death penalty.
Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh were killed in the riots on November 1, 1984.

Phoolka also pointed out that Sajjan Kumar had already been convicted for five murders in another case related to the riots in Raj Nagar, Delhi, and said these crimes were part of a bigger pattern of violence against the Sikh community.

HS Phoolka argued that Sajjan Kumar, who led the mob that killed the two men, deserves the death penalty, stating that Kumar's life sentence for the Raj Nagar case was insufficient given his role in the violence.
The prosecution said a large mob, fueled by the assassination of Indira Gandhi, carried out looting, arson, and targeted Sikh properties, killing the complainant’s husband and son, and destroying their property.

The Nanavati Commission’s report showed that out of 587 FIRs filed in Delhi, only 28 led to convictions. Kumar was convicted for his role in the Palam Colony killings and sentenced to life imprisonment, with his appeal still pending in the Supreme Court.

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