Listen | How Did the Verdict Change for 1984 Accused Sajjan Kumar?

What does the court’s conviction of Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 riots case mean for the Congress leader and the party?

The Delhi High Court convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar for participating in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, on 17 December 2018.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Delhi High Court convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar for participating in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, on 17 December 2018.

Ghosts of riots past will always come back to haunt our national political parties. If it’s the 2002 Gujarat riots for the BJP, for Congress it’s the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom.

Sajjan Kumar is one of the popular names that ALWAYS comes up along with Jagdish Tytler's every time somebody mentions the 1984 riots. As for his role in the Congress party, he's been the general secretary of the Congress Delhi unit.

Five others were accused in the case – related to the murder of five members of a Sikh family on 1 November 1984.

What happened on that fateful day in 1984?

Jagdish Kaur, a mother and wife to two victims of that murder  – who is one of the eyewitnesses in the case – told Hindustan Times that she heard Sajjan Kumar instigating a mob to kill sardars to avenge the assassination of his “mother” Indira Gandhi.

In 2013, Sajjan Kumar was acquitted of all charges by a trial court but the Delhi High Court slapped him with more charges than we can count on both hands, including conspiracy to commit murder, delivering speeches to instigate people into hatred and violence, and disrupting communal harmony.

Kumar has till the end of 2018 to surrender, ie, approximately two weeks. Listen to the podcast for more.