Ex-Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, Convicted In 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case, Dies

Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who was convicted for the murder of five men during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that killed thousands, died on Thursday at a Delhi hospital. He was 80.

Kumar, who was serving life imprisonment in Tihar jail, was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead. The hospital has not yet clarified the cause of his death.

A three-term Lok Sabha member, Kumar represented the Outer Delhi constituency and had been a prominent Congress leader. He resigned from the party after his 2018 conviction.

Read: Who Was Sajjan Kumar, Ex-Congress MP And 1984 Riots Convict

The riots broke out after the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards - Satwant Singh and Beant Singh - on October 31, 1984. Groups of armed men targeted Sikhs across Delhi and attacked their houses and shops. Over 3,000 Sikhs were killed across India, mostly in the national capital.

For over three decades, Kumar faced multiple criminal cases relating to the violence, with outcomes that swung between acquittals and convictions across different courts.

On December 17, 2018, the Delhi High Court overturned a trial court's 2013 verdict acquitting Kumar in the case. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The case related to the murder of five Sikh men in Raj Nagar Part-I, Palam Colony, as well as the burning of a gurdwara during the widespread violence. The High Court held Kumar guilty of criminal conspiracy and abetment and directed that he remain in prison for the remainder of his natural life. In its judgment, the court had described the 1984 anti-Sikh violence as "crimes against humanity".

Kumar's challenge to his conviction and sentence remains pending before the Supreme Court.

Earlier this year, in January, a Delhi court acquitted Kumar in two separate cases concerning allegations that he had incited violence in the Janakpuri and Vikaspuri areas during the 1984 riots.

However, the acquittals did not result in his release, as Kumar continued to serve life sentences in other cases connected with the violence.

In February 2025, the Rouse Avenue Court handed Kumar another life sentence in the Saraswati Vihar case. He was convicted for his involvement in a mob attack in which a father and son, Jaswant Singh and Tarundeep Singh, were allegedly burned alive.

The prosecution had sought the death penalty for Kumar. However, the court awarded him life imprisonment, considering factors including his advanced age and health condition.