New Delhi: With a Delhi court holding former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar guilty of murder in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, National Commission for Minorities Chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura on Wednesday hailed the judiciary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their unwavering commitment to justice.
A Delhi court on Wednesday said former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar was part of an unlawful assembly that killed the victims and is guilty of murder in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, in which he now faces a maximum of death penalty and a minimum of life term in prison.
Special judge Kaveri Baweja aside from saying that a mob took part in rioting and killed the victims held, "It has further been established that Kumar, being a member of such unlawful assembly, is guilty of having murdered Jaswant Singh and Tarundeep Singh, the husband and son of the complainant, during the incident."
Lalpura expressed his deep gratitude to the judiciary, Prime Minister Modi, and Home Minister Shah for their unwavering commitment to justice, a statement issued by the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) said.
He acknowledged the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which led to the reopening of the case and the conviction of Sajjan Kumar. Lalpura emphasized the severity of the crime and strongly advocated capital punishment, reaffirming the commitment to ensuring justice, accountability, and closure for the victims and their families.
The conviction judgment said, "The complainant who witnessed the brutal killing of her husband and son can certainly not be expected to forget the face of the person who was instigating the mob to carry out the said killings and looting and her deposition in court fortifies her stand that it is accused who was not only present during the alleged incident but also instigating and leading the mob which resulted in commission of the aforesaid offences."
Kumar was convicted under IPC Sections 147 (rioting), 302 (murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) 395 (dacoity), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house, etc), and 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt) aside from other provisions.
The arguments on sentence would be heard on February 18. Kumar was produced in the court from Tihar jail for the pronouncement. Jaswant and his son Tarundeep were killed on November 1, 1984.
