A Delhi special court on Tuesday sentenced former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, rejecting a plea for the death penalty. The case involved the killing of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh on November 1, 1984.
The complainant, Jaswant’s wife, and the state had sought capital punishment for Kumar. However, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja ruled that the case did not meet the criteria for the “rarest of rare” category needed for the death penalty.
The court considered mitigating factors, including Kumar’s good conduct in jail, his health issues, and his roots in society, which led to the decision for life imprisonment instead.
Senior advocate HS Phoolka raised concerns over Kumar’s medical reports and indicated that they would approach the High Court to request the formation of a medical board to reassess his condition.