Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar Dies While Serving Life Sentence for 1984 Riots

Sajjan Kumar, a former Member of Parliament from the Indian National Congress, died on Monday after being brought to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi in a critical condition. The 73-year-old was pronounced dead on arrival at the facility.

Kumar had been serving a life sentence following his conviction in two separate cases stemming from the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, which erupted across India following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was arrested in 2018 after spending decades evading justice, though he had consistently denied any involvement in the communal violence.

The former lawmaker, who represented the Delhi constituency during his political career, had become a focal point in debates surrounding accountability for the 1984 riots. Victim groups and human rights organisations had long sought justice in connection with the violence, which resulted in widespread killings, displacement, and communal trauma across the capital and other parts of the country.

Kumar's death marks the end of a protracted legal battle that lasted several years. His case had drawn significant public attention as courts examined evidence related to his alleged role in inciting and participating in the violence during that turbulent period in India's contemporary history.