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Senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was convicted and sentenced to life term for “remainder of his natural life” in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case by the Delhi High Court on Monday, 17 December. The court said the riots were a “crime against humanity” perpetrated by those who enjoyed “political patronage.”
The bench said the accused in the case were brought to justice “primarily on account of the courage and perseverance of three eyewitnesses” – Jagdish Kaur, her cousin Jagsher Singh and Nirpreet Kaur.
Speaking to the media after the verdict, Jagdish Kaur said, “He (Sajjan Kumar) should be killed like he killed our families.”
Kaur’s husband, son and three cousins – Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh – were the five killed in the case.
She further said that there was a lot of pressure on her when she had come to the court as a witness.
“I was offered a lot of money. What would I do with the money? I was determined to unveil those responsible and expose their taint.”Jagdish Kaur
‘Big Fish Has Been Caught’
Jagdish Kaur’s cousin and another witness to the 1984 riots, Nirpreet Kaur hailed the verdict and said that it was the first time that a “big fish” had been caught.
Nirpreet Kaur had witnessed the Gurdwara being burnt down and her father being burnt alive by the raging mobs.
“We have got justice after 34 years but this is the first time that a big fish has been caught because they would either threaten the witnesses or the witnesses would turn hostile.”
She said that she herself has faced a lot due to the riots and the legal proceedings that ensued.
“They convicted me under TADA for nine years. They didn’t even spare my mother who had to spend three and a half years under jail.”
Meanwhile, Sajjan Kumar intends to move an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court verdict.
(With inputs from PTI)
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