A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment in connection with 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 noted, “The ‘satisfactory’ conduct of the convict as per the jail authorities’ report, the ailments from which he is reportedly suffering, his established societal roots, and the potential for reformation and rehabilitation are material considerations that tilt the scales in favor of life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.”
The court also referenced a jail report, which indicated that Kumar’s behavior had been “satisfactory” and that no adverse reports had been filed against him.
The judge further highlighted that the case was part of the broader sequence of violent incidents for which Kumar had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court on December 17, 2018.
In that 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.
“Although the killings of 2 innocent persons in this case are no less grievous, the aforementioned factors do not render it a ‘rarest of rare’ case warranting the imposition of the death penalty,” the court stated.
Consequently, Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment for being part of the mob that set fire to the victims’ residence, looted their property, and brutally killed them.
The judge also took into account Kumar’s deteriorating health, noting 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 requiring 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.