Sajjan Kumar, Convicted in 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots, Dies While Serving Life Sentence

Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who was serving a life sentence in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, died on Thursday, August 20, Safdarjung Hospital sources said. The hospital has not yet clarified the cause of his death. Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court on December 17, 2018, in a case related to the killing of five Sikhs and the burning of a gurdwara during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He was lodged in Tihar Jail. He was also sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court in February 2025 in another case relating to the killing of two Sikh men during the riots. Kumar, a three-time Lok Sabha member, represented the Outer Delhi constituency and had been a prominent Congress leader. He resigned from the party after his 2018 conviction.