‘Govt failed to defend the case properly’: Sajjan Kumar’s acquittal shocks 1984 riot victims’ families in Punjab

Surjeet Singh, president of the 1984 Danga Peerat Welfare Society, Punjab, expressed disappointment over the verdict, saying that while the acquittal was limited to one case, its implications were deeply worrying.

“He has been acquitted in one case, but other cases are still pending. However, this acquittal can ease out his bail process, which is really unfortunate. The BJP has long been beating the trumpet that they got the 1984 riot accused punished, and now they themselves were not able to defend the case strongly in the courts,” Surjeet Singh said.

‘Judgment reopened old wounds’

Members of the society said the judgment reopened old wounds for families who had already suffered prolonged delays in their fight for justice. Gurdeep Kaur, president of the women’s wing of the society, recalled her family’s painful past.

“My family migrated from Delhi to Ludhiana after the riots broke out, and we lost many of our family members. Everyone knows that Sajjan Kumar was involved in the riots. Forty-one years have passed since the riots. Many witnesses have died, and others have grown old. Sajjan Kumar was arrested after years, and now this acquittal, even though in one case, has come as a shock to us,” she said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Davinder Singh Soni, secretary of the society, said ,“It is rightly said that justice delayed is justice denied. This clearly shows that the Union Government was not able to defend the case properly, which is why Sajjan Kumar got acquitted,” he alleged.

The society also pointed to repeated assurances given by BJP leaders in the past. BJP leaders have held several meetings with the riot victims’ families in Punjab, promising to take up their long-pending demands with both the Union and Punjab Governments.

Former BJP Punjab president Avinash Rai Khanna was honoured by the 1984 Danga Peerat Welfare Society in February last year at Ludhiana. The event was attended by senior BJP leaders, including Gurdeep Singh Gosha and BJP councillor Raj Kumar.

Speaking on the occasion, Avinash Rai Khanna had said, “The Nanavati Commission was formed during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, which advocated registration of FIRs against the guilty. However, when the Congress-led UPA government came to power, the files went into cold storage.”

Demand for a truth and reconciliation commission

Following Sajjan Kumar’s acquittal, the society has renewed its demand for a comprehensive investigation. Surjeet Singh said, “We have repeatedly urged the BJP leadership to establish a Truth Commission to investigate the involvement of Congress leaders such as Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler, Kamal Nath, and Ajay Maken in the 1984 Sikh massacre. Sajjan Kumar’s acquittal has come as a shock to us,” he said.

Apart from justice, the victims’ families also flagged unresolved rehabilitation issues. Gurdeep Kaur said that despite repeated promises, many families were still struggling.
“Around 25,000 riot-affected families currently reside in Punjab. We demand their rehabilitation and resettlement, as not all families have been allotted houses as promised. Many of our demands are still unfulfilled,” she said.

Attempt to meet PM Modi unsuccessful

The society members also said they had been seeking time for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for over a year to discuss their grievances and the challenges faced by riot victims’ families, but without success so far.

The 1984 riot victims’ welfare society was earlier considered close to the Shiromani Akali Dal. However, since early 2024, BJP leaders have been making frequent visits to Ludhiana to engage with the affected families. In 2024, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, also visited the colony, and riot victims met him twice in Delhi.

According to the society, the riot-affected families together account for nearly 1.5 lakh voters across Punjab, making them a significant section politically.