The court on Tuesday accepted that Sajjan Kumar deserved a harsher punishment (hanging) due to his heinous crimes
Editorial: The decision of a special court in Delhi to sentence former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to double life imprisonment may not be a consolation for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, but it is certainly a testament to the fact that even after 41 years of the riots, the doors of justice have not been closed to the victims. The court on Tuesday accepted that Sajjan Kumar deserved a harsher punishment (hanging) due to his heinous crimes, but the court has deemed it appropriate to show leniency towards him in view of his advanced age and weak physical condition. The court had convicted Sajjan Kumar of a dozen crimes.
Among these, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the cases of the murders of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh of Saraswati Vihar (Delhi) and the destruction of a house by arson. Apart from these two offences, he was also sentenced to imprisonment for some other charges and a fine of Rs 2.41 lakh was also imposed. All the prison sentences are to run concurrently, hence they are all the same sentence. However, he is already serving life imprisonment under the sentence passed by the Delhi High Court in 2018.
It is worth mentioning that Sajjan Kumar was convicted in four cases in connection with the 1984 riots. In the present case, a special court had convicted him on February 12 this year, but the sentencing process was delayed by almost two weeks. In another case, a lower court had acquitted him in 2013, but this decision was overturned by the Delhi High Court in 2018 and Sajjan Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment, declaring him an accomplice in the murders.
His appeal against the High Court's verdict is pending in the Supreme Court. Two other cases of murder and inciting mob violence are pending against him in two other courts. They have not yet reached the stage of recording testimonies. However, the stance of the courts suggests that Sajjan Kumar will never come out of jail.
Sajjan Kumar is the first powerful politician to face justice for crimes related to the 1984 Sikh riots. The genocide of Sikhs that began after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, lasted for four days. During this massacre, about four thousand Sikhs were killed in different parts of the country, including the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and thousands of their houses and businesses were burnt down.
The number of Sikhs killed in Delhi alone was estimated at three thousand. Although the Congress party has been denying the allegations of being directly involved in this genocide, the fact was that Congress leaders played a major role in organizing the genocide.
In this context, affidavits against Congress leaders like Harkishan Lal Bhagat, Dharam Das Shastri, Jagdish Tytler, Kamal Nath etc. were also filed before the Justice Ranganath Mishra and Justice G.T. Nanavati Commissions. Bhagat and Shastri did not live long, but Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler could not escape court appearances despite the patronage of the Congress government.
Kamal Nath has been claiming his innocence, but the sword of justice is still hanging over his head. The Rajiv Gandhi government formed after the assassination of Indira Gandhi used all means, such as destroying police records and other evidence, to protect the perpetrators of the massacre. It is because of these atrocities that the process of justice has been delayed for four decades.
If Sajjan Kumar has now been sentenced to double life imprisonment, the credit for this goes to the Supreme Court and to Harvinder Singh Phoolka and some other dedicated lawyers. The Supreme Court forced the CBI and other central investigative agencies to reopen closed cases and ensure protection of witnesses. The path to justice through the police and judicial system is very difficult. It demands patience and perseverance. Four decades is not a short time. Those who have suffered continuous disappointments during this long period have certainly seen a glimmer of light in the latest court decision. It is hoped that this same glimmer will also prove to be helpful in getting justice to other victims.
(For More News Apart From A decision that strengthens the spirit of justice stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
