1984 riots: Delhi court acquits Sajjan Kumar in two cases, victims’ kin protest

Protests erupted outside Delhi’s Rose Avenue Court after Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was acquitted in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case linked to alleged incitement of violence in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri. Family members of the victims gathered to express anger and anguish, saying justice continues to elude those affected by one of India’s darkest chapters. Emotional scenes were witnessed as relatives broke down, demanding accountability decades after the violence that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The court order was orally pronounced by Special Judge DIG Vinay Singh, leading to sharp reactions from victims’ families and their lawyers. While Sajjan Kumar was acquitted in this particular case, he remains in jail serving a life sentence awarded by the Delhi High Court in 2018 for his role in the killing of five Sikhs in Palam. The 1984 riots claimed at least 2,800 lives in Delhi alone, and the verdict has once again reopened painful wounds for survivors.