Sajjan Kumar, Convicted In 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case, Dies While Serving Life Sentence

Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, serving life sentences in 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases, died on Thursday at Safdarjung Hospital.

Kumar was sentenced to life in 2018 for the killing of five Sikhs and burning of a gurdwara during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Source : ANI

Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who was serving a life sentence for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, died on Thursday, according to sources at Safdarjung Hospital. The hospital has not yet disclosed the cause of his death.

Convicted Over 1984 Riots

Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court on December 17, 2018, in a case concerning the killing of five Sikhs and the burning of a gurdwara during the riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

The court's verdict marked a significant development in a case that had remained unresolved for decades. Kumar had consistently denied the allegations against him.

He was lodged in Tihar Jail while serving his sentence. In February 2025, a Delhi court also sentenced him to life imprisonment in another case linked to the 1984 violence, concerning the killing of two Sikh men.

Three-Time Lok Sabha MP

Kumar was a prominent Congress leader and served as a member of the Lok Sabha three times. He represented the Outer Delhi constituency and remained an influential political figure in the capital for several years.

Following his conviction by the Delhi High Court in 2018, Kumar resigned from the Congress.

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots erupted in Delhi and other parts of India after Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. Thousands of Sikhs were killed in the violence, with Delhi witnessing some of the worst attacks.

Kumar's conviction was among the major legal developments in cases arising from the riots, which had faced prolonged investigations and litigation.

His death comes while he was serving sentences in connection with two separate cases stemming from the violence. Safdarjung Hospital sources confirmed his death on Thursday, but the circumstances and cause of death had not been officially clarified at the time of reporting.