Delhi Celebrates Sajjan Kumar: He is "Our Monster"

Dead Body of Convicted Criminal Sajjan Kumar

Convicted mass murderer Sajjan Kumar was incarcerated in Tihar Jail until he fell severely ill and died at the age of 80 on August 20, 2026. Sajjan Kumar, a powerful Member of Parliament from the ruling Indian Congress Party, planned and executed the 1984 killings of Sikhs in Outer Delhi through criminal conspiracy, direct incitement of violent mobs, political patronage, and an orchestrated police cover-up. Following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, Kumar weaponized his local political influence particularly in Outer Delhi areas - Sultanpuri, Raj Nagar, and the Delhi Cantonment to systematically target Sikh residents.

Praise for Mass Murderer

Celebrating a Mass Murderer

A large number of local activists, Congress workers, and supporters attended his funeral procession at Nigambodh Ghat. Sajjan Kumar’s death triggered a major political controversy after his dead body was brought to the Congress party headquarters for public display. Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda publicly mourned his passing and praised his political career. This drew immediate protests from the Sikh community forcing Hooda to express regret, stating his remarks were distorted.

Posters in Delhi on Sajjan Kumar's Death

 Some politicians offered condolences, posters were put up in Delhi drawing fierce backlash and condemnation from riot survivors and victim advocates. The three BJP MPs (Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, and Yogender Chandolia) faced severe reprimands from BJP President Nitin Nabin for visiting Kumar's house did so because their current constituencies were carved out of Kumar’s former Outer Delhi stronghold. Their condolences were deeply tied to local political equations, community relationships, and local political aspirations, which ultimately backfired nationally. 

Why Celebrate a Convicted Mass Murderer? 

The psychology of individuals who praise or defend convicted mass murderers stems from a direct desire to celebrate violence. It is usually driven by deep-seated cognitive biases, sectarian identity, and personal self-interest. "He’s Our Monster": If a perpetrator is viewed as a champion or protector of a specific group, members of that group will minimize, justify, or deny the crimes.

"Our Monsters" - Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler of Congress Party

Local supporters have mentally separated "Sajjan Kumar the helpful neighborhood politician" from "Sajjan Kumar the convicted riot instigator and planner." Those who praised him deliberately focused on his identity as a "powerful local leader" while actively ignoring his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

In broader psychological terms, some people are drawn to perpetrators of mass violence due to a phenomenon known as Hybristophilia, though in political contexts, it manifests more as power worship. 

What about the Victims?

For praise to occur, there is often a psychological detachment from the victims. If followers have been conditioned to view the victim group as enemies, subhuman, or threats, they will not experience empathy for them. Consequently, they do not view the perpetrator as a murderer, but rather as someone who did what "had to be done."  

A Widow of Sikh Genocide of 1984

This attempt to celebrate him was not accepted by the public. It immediately triggered nationwide outrage, showing that the majority of society refused to overlook his crimes. According to judicial rulings from the Delhi High Court and investigative findings by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), his operations relied on several structured strategies:

Direct Incitement and Hate Speech

Sajjan Kumar Incited Mobs

Sajjan Kumar personally went to highly populated neighborhoods to rally and direct mobs. Multiple eyewitnesses testified that they heard Kumar delivering highly inflammatory speeches, explicitly ordering the crowds that "not a single Sikh should survive". He actively targeted and directed the killing of Sikhs, destruction of Sikh homes, livelihoods, and religious sites, including the burning of a local Gurdwara.

Financing and Fueling the Mobs

Sajjan Kumar with Other Culprits

To sustain the momentum of the violence and ensure the compliance of the rioters, Sajjan Kumar organized localized logistics. Court testimonies revealed that he provided rioters with cash payouts (specifically ₹100 notes) and free liquor to incentivize and fuel the deadly rampages.

Police Connivance and Institutional Subversion

Sajjan Kumar and Delhi Police Connection

The CBI established that Kumar engineered a conspiracy of "terrifying proportion" by working hand-in-hand with local law enforcement. Delhi Police units deliberately stood down, disarmed Sikh citizens who tried to protect themselves, and actively refused to register First Information Reports (FIRs) against political leaders.

Erasure of Evidence and Post-Riot Cover-Ups

Political Clout of Sajjan Kumar

In the immediate aftermath of the massacres, Sajjan Kumar used his immense political clout to manipulate the legal system. Investigators discovered that he actively conspired with Delhi Police officials to erase his name from eyewitness testimonies, alter official records, and intimidate survivors who tried to step forward.

Accountability and Punishment

Guilty as Charged - Sajjan Kumar

Because of this extensive "political patronage," Kumar successfully evaded justice for over three decades. However, the legal shield broke when courageous survivors, such as Jagdish Kaur, maintained their testimonies through decades of threats. 

Jagdish Kaur at Delhi High Court

Jagdish Kaur is a prominent survivor and a key eyewitness of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, whose relentless 34-year legal battle led to the landmark conviction of powerful Congress leader Sajjan Kumar.  She resided in Raj Nagar, Palam Colony in Outer Delhi during the violence. She witnessed a mob mercilessly kill five male members of her family on November 1, 1984. The victims included her husband (Kehar Singh), her 18-year-old son (Gurpreet Singh), and three of her cousins/brothers. She managed to save her three daughters and a younger son from the rampaging mob.

First Life Sentence (2018): The Delhi High Court overturned a previous acquittal, labeling the pogroms as "crimes against humanity". Kumar was convicted of murder, criminal conspiracy, and promoting enmity, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sajjan Kumar after Sentencing

Second Life Sentence (2025): A trial court handed him a second life sentence for a separate 1984 case involving the mob-driven murder of a father and son in Saraswati Vihar. His repeated appeal for bail were all denied by the honorable courts.  He became critically ill inside Tihar Jail and was rushed unconscious to the state-run Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi on August 20, 2026. Doctors at the hospital declared him brought dead ... stone cold dead!