1984 anti-Sikh riot: Delhi HC convicts Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, sentences him to life term
New Delhi, Dec 17 (IBNS): The Delhi High Court on Monday convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case, annulling his acquittal by a lower court earlier. He was sentenced for life by the court.
A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel delivered the judgement.
"Criminals have enjoyed political patronage," the court observed.
Following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, nationwide riots had broken out. In one incident five people were killed in the Delhi Cantonment area.
While Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was acquitted, five others were convicted in that case related to the riot.
The anti-Sikh riots had erupted in different parts of the country following Gandhi's assassination by her Sikh security guards in the wake of the army operation in the Amritsar Golden Temple to flush out terrorists. The pogrom claimed at least 3,000 lives across the country.
According to US-based Human Rights Watch, successive Indian governments’ failure to prosecute those most responsible for killings and other abuses during the 1984 anti-Sikh violence highlights India’s weak efforts to combat communal violence.
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