Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar Dies at 81 in Safdarjung Hospital

Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who was serving a life sentence for his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, died on Thursday at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi. He was 81 years old.

According to a statement issued by the hospital, Kumar was brought to Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital by police at around 11:00 a.m. with altered sensorium. He was immediately admitted to the facility, where doctors initiated resuscitation and life-support measures. Despite medical interventions, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 12:30 p.m.

Hospital authorities stated that Kumar suffered from hypertension and Parkinson’s disease, and had a history of multiple hospital admissions in the past.

Prior to his hospitalisation, Kumar was lodged in Tihar Jail serving life terms related to the 1984 anti-Sikh killings. The Delhi High Court had sentenced him to life imprisonment on December 17, 2018, in connection with the murder of five Sikhs and the burning of a gurdwara in Palam Colony during the 1984 violence. That verdict is currently under challenge before the Supreme Court.

In February 2024, Kumar received another life imprisonment sentence in a separate case involving the murder of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in the Saraswati Vihar area.

Earlier, in January 2026, a Delhi court had acquitted Kumar in a case concerning violence in the Janakpuri area during the 1984 riots, citing the absence of credible evidence against him. However, he remained incarcerated in Tihar Jail due to his convictions in the other cases.

Kumar served as a three-time Lok Sabha member representing the Outer Delhi constituency. He had been a prominent leader in the Congress party for several decades before resigning from the organisation following his 2018 conviction by the Delhi High Court.