'Why No Death Penalty For Sajjan Kumar': 1984 Riots Victims' Families

The families of victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots have expressed huge disappointment over former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar "getting away" with a life sentence instead of death penalty, which the families have been demanding for decades.

A local court in Delhi today awarded life sentence to Mr Kumar for killing a father and a son in Delhi's Saraswati Vihar on November 1, 1984, when the anti-Sikh riots began following the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two bodyguards from the Sikh community.

The petitioners have the option of challenging the sentence in the Delhi High Court.

After special judge Kaveri Baweja announced the sentence, the families waiting outside the Delhi court broke out and shouted for justice.

"I am 80 years old now, we have never got justice," an elderly woman told NDTV. "Children and women were murdered on the streets. I will never forget the horror," she said.

The judge said the offences committed by Mr Kumar were undoubtedly brutal and reprehensible, but underscored certain mitigating factors, including his age of 80 years and illnesses that "weigh in favour of imposing a lesser sentence, instead of death penalty".

Another man who lost his family and relatives in the anti-Sikh riots told NDTV they are not at all happy with the sentence given to Mr Kumar as they wanted nothing less than the death penalty.

"Definitely we are not satisfied. Some 186 cases were opened and an SIT [special investigation team] was formed. After the BJP came in the Centre, the justice system started moving fast though," he said.

"It [the case] was not politicised by others. The Congress only did that because it was a genocide. It was not a danga (riot), it was a genocide like how Hitler's men killed people, the Congress's people killed Sikhs," he said. "Indira Gandhi's killers were given the death sentence fast. For one killing, justice came swiftly. For the murders of 10,000 people, we are still waiting for justice. It goes to show justice is different for the common people.

On January 31, the local court reserved its verdict after hearing additional submissions by public prosecutor Manish Rawat in the case linked to the killing of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Lawyer Anil Sharma, however, submitted Mr Kumar's name was not there from the very beginning and there was a delay of 16 years in naming him as an accused by the witness. It was also submitted that a case in which Mr Kumar was convicted by the Delhi High Court was pending for appeal before the Supreme Court.

The public prosecutor objecting to Mr Sharma's submission said Mr Kumar was not known to the victims' family, and when they became aware of who Mr Kumar was, the complainant named him in her statement.

Senior lawyer HS Phoolka, appearing for the riot victims, said the police investigations were manipulated, tardy and meant to save the accused. Mr Phoolka said the situation during the anti-Sikh riots was extraordinary and so these cases have to be dealt with in this context.

Mr Phoolka referred to a judgment of the Delhi High Court and said it was not an isolated case, but a part of a bigger massacre.

from NDTV News- Topstories https://ift.tt/VF7dxXM