Delhi High Court Closes Sajjan Kumar's 1984 Riots Appeal Following His Death

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday closed proceedings in an appeal filed by former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar challenging his conviction in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots murder case linked to Saraswati Vihar, following his death in custody last week.

Kumar, who was serving two life sentences in Tihar jail in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, passed away on August 20. Taking note of his demise, a bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan formally closed the matter, stating, "In view thereof, the present appeal would abate."

The case pertained to the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in northwest Delhi's Saraswati Vihar on November 1, 1984. The violence took place a day after anti-Sikh riots erupted across Delhi following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Kumar was convicted by the trial court in this case on February 12, 2025, and subsequently received a sentence of life imprisonment on February 25, 2025. While handing down the punishment, the trial court noted that while the murder of two innocent individuals constituted a grave crime, it did not meet the threshold of the "rarest of rare" category required to impose the death penalty.

Kumar had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court in December 2018 in a separate 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, which involved the murder of five Sikhs and the burning of a gurdwara.