1984 anti-Sikh riots: Second conviction of ex-Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, faces 2 more cases
New Delhi (PTI): With a Delhi Court finding former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar guilty, it is his second conviction with respect to 1984 anti-Sikh riots and he faces two more cases.
Kumar's conviction came in a case over the murders of two persons, namely, Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh during the violence in Delhi's Saraswati Vihar on November 1, 1984.
The judge would hear on February 18 the arguments on the quantum of punishment. The case attracts a maximum punishment of death penalty and life-term imprisonment as the minimum sentence.
Kumar was awarded life imprisonment by the high court in a case over the killings of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar Part-I area in Palam Colony of southwest Delhi on November 1-2, 1984 and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar Part-II.
His appeal against the conviction is pending in the Supreme Court.
Two other appeals are currently pending before the high court against his acquittal in two other cases by the trial courts.
In the Delhi trial courts, there are two cases pending against Kumar, including one related to the violence near a Gurdwara situated in Gulab Bagh, Nawada, in which a judge put him on trial in August 2023.
A Delhi court is also conducting trial in a case related to riots in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri areas in 1984.
According to a report of Nanavati Commission, constituted to probe the violence and its aftermath, there were 587 FIRs filed in Delhi in relation to the riots that saw killings of 2733 people. Of the total, about 240 FIRs were closed by police as "untraced" and 250 cases resulted in acquittal.
Only 28 cases of 587 FIRs resulted in convictions, in which about 400 persons were convicted. About 50 were convicted for murder, including Kumar.
Currently there are about 20 cases pending in various courts in the national capital.
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Activists write open letter to Odisha govt flagging anti-Christian violence
New Delhi: Activists and rights campaigners John Dayal, Aakar Patel, Vidya Dinker and Harsh Mander have expressed serious concern over the alleged rise in violence and intimidation against Christians in several districts, accusing both Hindutva organisations and sections of the police of targeting the minority community.
In a strongly worded communication addressed to the state administration, the signatories said they had received disturbing testimonies from affected people regarding social boycott, denial of burial rights, physical assaults and police intimidation.
According to the activists, Christians in some areas were allegedly boycotted by villagers, while people who traded with them, employed them or provided them shelter were also targeted.
The letter also highlighted what it described as “gruesome” incidents involving the prevention of burials of Christians within village burial grounds and even on privately owned lands belonging to Christian families. The activists said there were cases where bodies remained unburied for days due to opposition from local groups, while in some instances burials were allegedly forced to take place in forest areas outside village limits. Funeral prayers were also reportedly disrupted.
The signatories further alleged that in certain districts the violence escalated into physical assaults on Christians. They claimed that some victims were tied to trees and beaten, while others were allegedly placed inside sacks and assaulted. The letter also mentioned a few reported instances of sexual violence and attempts to burn people alive, which, according to them, were stopped at the last moment.
Expressing particular concern, the activists said many victims had testified that police personnel joined hands with Hindutva organisations to force Christians into signing “compromise” agreements. These agreements allegedly required them to give up their faith and stop collective worship.
The letter also accused the police of registering serious criminal cases against victims of attacks instead of taking action against the attackers. According to the signatories, many of those attacked were detained in police stations and jails, while in some cases the police themselves allegedly played a direct role in intimidation and violence against Christians.
Stating that there appeared to be a “complete breakdown in the constitutional machinery of the state” in relation to Christian minorities, the activists urged the administration to uphold and protect the constitutional and religious rights of all citizens without discrimination based on religion, caste or creed.
The letter was signed by John Dayal, Aakar Patel, Vidya Dinker and Harsh Mander.
