A Delhi court acquitted former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar on Thursday in a case connected to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, specifically concerning allegations of inciting violence in the Janakpuri and Vikaspuri areas of Delhi. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of Rouse Avenue Courts delivered the order, citing the prosecution's failure to prove Kumar's involvement beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case against Kumar stemmed from two FIRs registered in February 2015 by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). These FIRs related to violence in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. The first FIR concerned the deaths of Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh in Janakpuri on November 1, 1984. The second FIR involved Gurcharan Singh, who was allegedly set ablaze in Vikaspuri on November 2, 1984.

In August 2023, Kumar was charged with rioting and promoting enmity, but was discharged of murder and criminal conspiracy offences.

Judge Singh stated that the prosecution's evidence lacked credibility, noting that most witnesses presented hearsay accounts and failed to identify Kumar for nearly three decades after the events. The court deemed relying on such delayed identification as risky and potentially leading to a miscarriage of justice. The judge emphasized that the court's decision had to be without emotions, even while understanding the trauma suffered by the victims and their families.

The court stated, "there is no reliable evidence in the present matter that the accused was present at the crime scene for which he has been charged on 01.11.1984, or that he was seen there by anyone. There is no evidence of instigating any such mob. There is no evidence of conspiracy so far as the incident in question is concerned, and this Court has no hesitation in holding that the prosecution has not met the standard of proof required in a criminal trial to prove the guilt beyond a reasonable doubt".

The Court also clarified that Kumar's past position as an Ex-Member of Parliament or his alleged involvement in similar incidents at other locations did not lower the standard of proof required to convict him. The court reiterated that a conviction can only be based on concrete evidence that removes all reasonable doubt.

While the court acknowledged the SIT's efforts in reinvestigating the cases, it ultimately concluded that the evidence presented did not meet the threshold for conviction.

Sajjan Kumar, born on September 23, 1945, is a former Indian politician. He previously served as a Member of Parliament for Outer Delhi. Kumar is currently in Tihar Jail, serving a life sentence for a separate case related to the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in Saraswati Vihar during the 1984 riots. He was convicted in that case on February 12, 2025. Kumar also received a life sentence from the Delhi High Court in 2018 for the killing of five Sikhs in Palam Colony during the 1984 riots.