1984 anti-Sikh riots: Congress politician Sajjan Kumar gets life term
Congress politician Sajjan Kumar for the murder of a father-son duo during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
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Kumar was found guilty for the murders on February 12 by special judge Kaveri Baweja. The court turned down prosecution and complainant's prayer seeking death penalty for Kumar.
While acknowledging that offences committed by Kumar were brutal and reprehensible, the judge held «at the same time, there are certain mitigating factors which, in my opinion, weigh in favour of imposing a lesser sentence, instead of death penalty. The 'satisfactory' conduct of the convict as per the report of the jail authorities, the ailments from which he is reportedly suffering, the fact that the convict has roots in the society and the possibility of his reformation and rehabilitation are material considerations which, in my opinion, tilt the scales in favour of sentence for life imprisonment instead of death penalty.»
The court had previously found that Kumar had instigated a mob in 1984 which was armed with deadly weapons like lathis and sarias. In the sentencing order, the judge held «from the evidence on record, it has been established that the victims in the present case not only witnessed the brutal killings of their family members at the hands of the rioting mob which the convict was a part of, but they were also witness to the burning and destruction of their
