The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) on Thursday announced that it will challenge the recent acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar by a Delhi court in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The committee said the decision has caused deep anguish in the Sikh community and vowed to seek justice in the Delhi High Court.
The Rouse Avenue District Court on Thursday acquitted Kumar in a case connected to violence that erupted in Janakpuri, West Delhi, on November 1–2, 1984, during the anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. According to DSGMC, three Sikhs were killed in the area, and five witnesses had directly named Kumar as leading the mob responsible for the killings.
In a joint statement, DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka and general secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon expressed shock over the verdict. “Despite the presence of five eyewitnesses who testified about Sajjan Kumar leading the mob, the court has acquitted him, which is extremely painful for the Sikh community,” they said.
The DSGMC has stated that it will obtain a copy of the judgment, study the reasoning behind the acquittal in detail, and then file an appeal before the Delhi High Court. The committee also reiterated its commitment to ensure that Kumar is held accountable for all alleged acts during the riots.
A crucial prosecution witness, Harvinder Singh Kohli, died before his statement could be recorded. DSGMC said Kohli was a key witness who saw his companions Avtar Singh and Sohan Singh being killed by the mob. “His testimony could have played a pivotal role in securing conviction,” the statement noted.
The committee also pointed out that Kumar is already serving a life sentence in another 1984 riots case, where he was convicted of conspiracy and inciting a mob that led to multiple killings. “His conviction in that case clearly establishes his role in leading violent mobs. The acquittal in this case defies the evidence presented,” the DSGMC said.
Calling the court’s ruling a setback, the DSGMC reaffirmed that it will persist in its efforts to secure justice for all victims of the 1984 Sikh genocide. “We are pursuing these cases with full seriousness and will continue to do so until every perpetrator is brought to justice,” the committee said.
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots claimed the lives of over 3,000 Sikhs, mostly in Delhi, and remain one of the darkest chapters in India’s recent history. Multiple cases remain pending in various courts, even 42 years later.
