A Delhi court has allowed former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar to call a journalist as a defence witness in his 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. The special court in Delhi accepted Kumar’s request on Saturday, setting September 16 as the date for the next hearing.
Sajjan Kumar, 77, has been accused of being involved in the violent episodes that took place during the deadly riots. During his court statement, he insisted that he is innocent and that the charges against him are politically motivated. Kumar claimed he was falsely implicated and denied any involvement in the killing of two Sikhs, Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh, in Janakpuri, Delhi, or the incident where Gurcharan Singh was reportedly set ablaze in Vikaspuri.
“I am innocent. I was never involved in these crimes, not even in my dreams,” Kumar stated in court. He also said that he was not named as a suspect in the initial investigations and only later was he accused, which he believes was part of a politically motivated effort to target him.
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots broke out after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. The violence left thousands of Sikhs dead and caused widespread destruction across Delhi and other cities.
Decades after the riots, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was set up to reopen 114 cases based on recommendations from the Justice G.P. Mathur Committee. In August 2023, charges were officially framed against Sajjan Kumar under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, though the court decided to drop the murder charge under Section 302 earlier filed by the SIT.
In February 2023, Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh during the riots. The SIT found that Kumar led a mob, inciting and encouraging violence that resulted in the burning and looting of their home, as well as injuries to family members.
The Sikh community continues to seek justice, calling the 1984 riots one of India’s darkest and most shameful moments. Many community members have demanded that Sajjan Kumar be given the strictest punishment, including the death penalty, to ensure justice for the victims.
