A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced Ex-Congress MP Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment in a murder case linked to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, citing his advanced age and medical conditions as mitigating factors against the death penalty.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja delivered the verdict concerning the murders of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh on November 1, 1984. While acknowledging the brutality and reprehensibility of Kumar’s actions, the court emphasized considerations such as his 80-year age and existing health issues, which justified a lesser sentence.
Under Indian law, murder carries a maximum penalty of death and a minimum of life imprisonment. The court observed that Kumar’s “satisfactory” conduct as per the jail authorities’ report, his reported ailments, his established societal roots, and the potential for rehabilitation collectively weighed against the imposition of the death penalty.
The court referenced a jail report indicating Kumar’s behavior had been “satisfactory” and that no adverse records were found against him.
The judge further noted that this case formed part of a broader sequence of violent incidents for which Kumar had already received a life sentence from the Delhi High Court on December 17, 2018.
In that prior case, he was convicted for his role in the deaths of five individuals during post-assassination rioting following the killing of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
“While the loss of two innocent lives in this case is undeniably grave, the mitigating factors prevent it from qualifying as a ‘rarest of rare’ case necessitating the death penalty,” the court stated.
Consequently, Kumar received a life sentence for his role in orchestrating mob violence, setting fire to the victims’ residence, looting their property, and brutally murdering them.
The court also considered Kumar’s deteriorating health, emphasizing that he struggled with routine daily activities. A psychiatric and psychological evaluation indicated that he was undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital’s Departments of Medicine, Urology, and Neurology and was prescribed medication for depression and sleep disorders.
However, the report found no indications of severe mental illness necessitating immediate psychiatric intervention.
In addition to the life sentence, the court imposed a fine of approximately Rs 2.4 lakh on Kumar. All sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
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