New Delhi: A city court on Friday (February 21) reserved its order for February 25 on the quantum of sentence against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case in which he was held guilty for murder of two persons.
Kumar, who was convicted by the trial court on February 12 in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case under various sections of IPC, including murder and rioting, faces faces a maximum of death penalty and a minimum of life sentence.
Prosecution earlier sought death penalty for Kumar
The prosecution earlier on February 18 sought death penalty for Kumar, calling it “rarest of rare” crime.
Complainant on Friday sought maximum penalty of death sentence for Kumar
The complainant in the case, who husband and son were killed by a large mob allegedly instigated by the former MP, appeared before special judge Kaveri Baweja on Friday and sought maximum penalty of death sentence for Kumar.
Senior lawyer HS Phoolka, who represented the complainant, submitted before the court that “the accused (Kumar) being the leader of the mobs instigated others to commit a genocide and crime against humanity and cold-blooded murders, and he deserves nothing less than capital punishment.”
The court asked Kumar’s counsel to file his written submissions within two days.
“Put up for order on the quantum of sentence on the next date of hearing,” the judge said.
What is the case of the prosecution?
According to the prosecution, a large mob, which was armed with deadly weapons, resorted to large-scale arson, looting and destruction of properties belonging to Sikhs to avenge the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.
The mob, as per the prosecution, attacked the complainant’s house and killed her husband Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh on November 1, 1984 and looted articles and set their house ablaze.
Kumar is guilty of having committed the murder of Jaswant Singh and Tarundeep Singh: Court
The trial court, while convicting Kumar, said that he was part of an unlawful assembly and he instigated the mob, armed with deadly weapons, and is guilty of having committed the murder of Jaswant Singh and Tarundeep Singh.
