Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar died at the age of 80 on Thursday while serving a life sentence in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Kumar, who had been lodged in Tihar Jail since his 2018 conviction, was taken to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, according to hospital sources.

The hospital has not publicly disclosed the cause of death. His death came on the same day the Delhi High Court was scheduled to hear an appeal connected with one of the cases against him.

Kumar remained one of the most prominent political figures convicted in cases arising from the violence that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in October 1984.

Death Ends Long Legal Battle

Kumar faced criminal proceedings connected with the 1984 violence for more than three decades. His cases produced different outcomes in different courts, including acquittals, convictions and continuing appeals.

He was convicted by the Delhi High Court in December 2018 in a case concerning the killings of five Sikhs and the burning of a gurdwara in the Raj Nagar area of Delhi. The court overturned an earlier trial court acquittal and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Kumar surrendered and remained in custody thereafter.

Second Life Sentence In 2025

A Delhi court awarded Kumar another life sentence in February 2025 for the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in Saraswati Vihar on November 1, 1984.

The Rouse Avenue court convicted Kumar for murder and other offences before imposing the sentence. The prosecution case alleged that he led or instigated a mob involved in the killings and destruction of property.

The court did not impose the death penalty. Kumar's age, health and conduct while serving his earlier sentence were among the factors considered while deciding the punishment.

Multiple Cases, Mixed Outcomes

Kumar's legal history also included proceedings relating to violence in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri.

In January 2026, a Delhi trial court acquitted him in a case concerning allegations linked to the killings of Sohan Singh and Avtar Singh and the burning of Gurcharan Singh. The court's judgment recorded that a revision against an earlier discharge relating to part of the case was pending before the Delhi High Court.

The acquittal did not erase Kumar's separate convictions in the other 1984 riots cases.

1984 Violence Changed Politics

The anti-Sikh violence erupted in Delhi and other parts of India after Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

Thousands of Sikhs were killed across the country during the violence. Delhi recorded a particularly high number of deaths, and questions over the investigation and prosecution of alleged perpetrators remained a major political and judicial issue for decades.

Kumar's eventual conviction became one of the most significant developments in the long-running legal pursuit of accountability.

Kumar's Political Career

Before his convictions, Kumar was an influential Congress politician in Delhi. He served three terms as a Lok Sabha member and remained a prominent figure in the party during the 1980s.

His political career changed dramatically after the 1984 cases were reopened and investigated through subsequent legal processes. Following his conviction, he was no longer an active Congress leader.

His transformation from a powerful parliamentarian to a convicted prisoner became closely associated with the prolonged judicial history of the riots.

Appeals Continued Until Death

Even after receiving life sentences, Kumar continued to challenge the convictions and seek relief from the courts.

His legal proceedings remained active in 2026. The Delhi High Court was scheduled to consider an appeal related to his conviction on Thursday, the day he died.

His death means that pending criminal proceedings against him will now have to be dealt with according to applicable legal procedure.

A Controversial Legacy

Sajjan Kumar's death closes the life of a politician whose career spanned Delhi's turbulent political landscape from the 1970s and 1980s to the long judicial reckoning over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

His death also comes as courts continue to deal with other cases and appeals arising from the violence. For victims and survivors, the legal history of the riots remains an important chapter in India's pursuit of accountability for one of the country's darkest episodes of communal violence.