New Delhi, April 24: The Supreme Court has agreed to review the conviction of Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, scheduling the hearing for the last week of July. The former politician is currently serving a life sentence for his role in the violence that broke out in Delhi’s Palam Colony, where five Sikhs were killed and religious property was destroyed.
Counsel for the 80-year-old convict declared that Kumar has spent over seven years behind bars without seeking temporary release. The advocate asserted that the request for a hearing was partly based on humanitarian grounds, stating that Kumar’s wife is currently unable to move due to severe illness. He affirmed that the couple has not met once since Kumar entered Tihar Jail more than seven years ago.
The Delhi High Court originally convicted Kumar in 2018, reversing a 2013 trial court verdict that had cleared him of the charges. This was followed by another life sentence handed down in early 2025 by a different Delhi court regarding a separate incident in Saraswati Vihar. The bench noted the duration of the jail term served so far before deciding to hear the appeal after the upcoming summer vacation.
Official records indicate that the 1984 riots resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 citizens. Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar took note of the legal arguments presented by the defense regarding the length of incarceration and the specific family circumstances involved. The July hearing will address the merits of the challenge against the High Court’s decision to convict.
