Sajjan Kumar, former Congress MP convicted in anti-Sikh riots case, passes away
Sajjan Kumar, a former Congress MP convicted for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, has died at the age of 84. He had been serving life sentences in Tihar Jail following multiple legal convictions.
Why it matters
His death marks the end of a significant legal chapter regarding the accountability for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India.
Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who was serving life sentence in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh killings in Delhi, died on Thursday (August 20, 2026) in Safdarjung Hospital, sources told The Hindu .
Safdarjung Hospital stated that, Sajjan Kumar, aged 84 years, was brought to VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital by Police with altered sensorium around 11:00 a.m. 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 p.m.
He was a known case of high blood pressure and Parkinson’s disease and had a history of multiple hospital admissions in the past, said Safdarjung Hospital in a statement.
Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court on December 17, 2018, in a case related to the killing of five Sikhs and the burning of a gurdwara during the 1984 anti-Sikh killings.
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