Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who was jailed in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, died on Thursday (August 20) at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, where he was brought with “altered sensorium” in the morning.
Sajjan Kumar, aged 84 years, was brought to VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital by Police with altered sensorium around 11:00 am, Safdarjung Hospital said in a statement.
“He was immediately admitted and resuscitation measures were initiated. Despite providing all necessary medical and life-support measures, he could not be saved and passed away at 12:30 PM. He was a known case of high blood pressure and Parkinson’s disease and had a history of multiple hospital admissions in the past,” the hospital said.
Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi high court in December 2018 for his role in a case involving the killing of five Sikhs and the burning of a gurdwara during the 1984 riots. He was lodged in Tihar Jail.
In February 2025, a Delhi court also sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment in a separate case concerning the killing of two Sikh men during the riots.
Who was Sajjan Kumar
{{/usCountry}}In February 2025, a Delhi court also sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment in a separate case concerning the killing of two Sikh men during the riots.
Who was Sajjan Kumar
{{/usCountry}}A three-time Lok Sabha MP, Kumar represented the Outer Delhi constituency and was a prominent Congress leader. He resigned from the party following his conviction by the Delhi high court in 2018.
Kumar was reportedly brought to the hospital in an unresponsive condition. Safdarjung Hospital authorities have yet to issue a statement on his death.
For more than three decades, Kumar faced multiple criminal cases linked to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, with verdicts varying from acquittals to convictions across different courts.
Earlier this year, in January, a Delhi court acquitted Kumar in one of the cases linked to the 1984 riots.
During his imprisonment, Kumar repeatedly sought bail and relief on medical grounds.
Sajjan Kumar remained one of the most prominent former public representatives to face criminal proceedings over the violence that followed the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.