Sajjan Kumar, Former Delhi Congress MP, Dies While Serving Life Sentence
· India · The Hindu, LiveMint, Moneycontrol
Sajjan Kumar, a former Lok Sabha MP and long‑time Delhi Congress leader, died on 20 August 2026 at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi at age 81 while serving a life sentence in Tihar Jail. He had been in custody since December 2018 after surrendering when the Delhi High Court overturned his acquittal in a case involving the killing of five Sikh family members and the burning of a gurdwara. The death has left the Congress party in a dilemma ahead of the Punjab Assembly election, as the party’s top leadership has not yet issued a formal condolence. Only Congress media chief Pawan Khera publicly expressed sympathy, reflecting the political sensitivity attached to Kumar’s name in Punjab. Family members of the 1984 anti‑Sikh riot victims protested outside Rouse Avenue Court, where Kumar appeared in February 2025 following a court award of a life sentence in a separate 1984 murder case in Saraswati Vihar. Kumar’s death underscores the ongoing struggle of riot victims for justice after 41 years and
Why it matters
Kumar’s death forces the Congress party to decide how to address the 1984 riots legacy ahead of the Punjab Assembly election, impacting its strategy and public image in a highly sensitive region.
Read the original report — The Hindu
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.