1984 anti-Sikh riots: Takht, SGPC express anguish over acquittal

Akal Takht acting jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, on Thursday asked the government to clarify who was responsible for the killing of Sikhs during the 1984 riots

Akal Takht acting jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, on Thursday asked the government to clarify who was responsible for the killing of Sikhs during the 1984 riots.

Family member of the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots case victim speaks to the media as Rouse Avenue Court acquits former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in the case.

Reacting to the acquittal, the jathedar said that although Sajjan Kumar is still serving sentences in two Sikh cases and will remain in jail, his acquittal in one case raises serious questions about the sincerity and seriousness of the government’s investigating agencies.

“His acquittal is tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of the Sikh community,” Gargaj said, adding that the victims kept pleading for justice, but their claims were ignored by the investigating agencies.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the acquittal is a grave injustice to the victim families who have been waiting for justice for nearly 41 years

“The court’s decision has caused deep mental anguish to the victim’s families who have been fighting a long and painful battle for justice,” Dhami said in a statement issued from his office.

DSGMC vows to continue legal battle

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Harmeet Singh Kalka, on Thursday, expressed anguish over the acquittal and described the verdict as a profound moment not only for the victim families who have endured decades of suffering while awaiting justice, but for the entire Sikh community.

“The decision has once again reopened the unhealed wounds of 1984 and has shaken the faith of victims in the justice delivery system. For families who lost their loved ones and have spent over four decades pursuing truth and accountability, this verdict is devastating,” Kalka said, adding that the DSGMC will challenge this judgment before the high court and will pursue the matter with legal diligence and determination.

“Our legal battle will continue until absolute justice is delivered. This is not merely a fight against a verdict, but a collective struggle for truth, accountability, and the dignity of the victims,” he said.

Advocate HS Phoolka, who has been fighting cases of 1984 riots victims in different courts, said that he would challenge the decision.