The pivotal testimony of Jagdish Kaur from Amritsar played a crucial role in the conviction of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots murder case, a development that marked the first conviction of a prominent Congress leader for the communal violence.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Kaur’s harrowing account in court directly influenced the Delhi High Court’s decision on December 17, 2018, to overturn a trial court’s acquittal of Sajjan Kumar. The court found Kumar guilty of the murders of Jagdish Kaur’s husband, her 18-year-old son, and three cousins, an incident that came to be known as the Delhi Palam Colony Raj Nagar murder case.
The struggle for justice for Jagdish Kaur was a protracted and arduous journey. She recounted facing immense pressure and even bribery attempts to withdraw the case against Sajjan Kumar. According to her statement, she was offered eight crore rupees, a plot of land, and resettlement abroad in exchange for dropping the charges. However, Kaur stated that her resolve, rooted in her identity as a ‘Sardarni,’ meant she feared no one and refused the offers.
Sajjan Kumar, who was 80 years old at the time of his death, was serving a life sentence in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. His passing came shortly after his conviction, leaving many survivors of the 1984 riots to continue reliving the trauma of those events.
The Delhi High Court judgment highlighted the complicity of the Delhi Police in the murders of Jagdish Kaur’s family members in Raj Nagar on November 1 and 2, 1984. The court’s records detail that on November 2, 1984, when Jagdish Kaur went to lodge a report at a police post, she witnessed a public meeting attended by Sajjan Kumar. During this meeting, she heard him make inflammatory remarks, reportedly stating, “Sikh sala ek nahin bachna chahiye, jo Hindu bhai unko sharan deta hai, uska ghar bhi jala do aur unko bhi maro.” (No Sikh should be left alive; the homes of Hindu brothers who shelter them should also be burnt, and they too should be killed).
Furthermore, the judgment noted that Kaur heard the officer-in-charge of the police post ask mobsters, “Kitne murge bhun diye?” (How many chickens have been roasted?). This exchange led Jagdish Kaur to declare that she had lost faith in humanity.
Despite the passage of years and the immense personal cost, Jagdish Kaur remained steadfast in her pursuit of justice. Speaking about her experience, she described the fight as excruciating, with the system attempting to break her spirit multiple times. She managed to raise her children by taking on odd jobs while simultaneously pursuing her legal battle with dignity.
Her testimony was crucial in establishing the sequence of events and the direct involvement of Sajjan Kumar in instigating the violence that led to the deaths of her family members. The Delhi High Court’s re-evaluation of the evidence, particularly Kaur’s eyewitness account, was instrumental in overturning the earlier acquittal and delivering a conviction.
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which erupted following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, resulted in widespread violence and the deaths of thousands of Sikhs across India, primarily in Delhi. The legal battles for justice for the victims have been lengthy and complex, with many cases spanning decades.
Sajjan Kumar’s conviction was a landmark moment in the long and often frustrating pursuit of justice for the victims of the riots. While Kumar has since passed away, Jagdish Kaur’s unwavering commitment to seeking accountability serves as a testament to the resilience of survivors and the importance of judicial recourse, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
The Chenab Times News Desk