New Delhi: Families of victims and Sikh leaders on Wednesday welcomed former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar’s conviction in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots murder case, demanding the harshest punishment to him.

Kumar, 79, has been found guilty in a case involving the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in Saraswati Vihar on November 1, 1984. He now faces a maximum of death penalty and a minimum of life term in prison after being convicted on Wednesday by a Delhi court in a murder case stemming from the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Special judge Kaveri Baweja passed the conviction order and posted the arguments on the sentence on February 18. “Accused has been convicted... List for order on sentence on the next date of hearing,” she said.

Following the verdict, survivors and Sikh leaders expressed relief and demanded the harshest punishment for Kumar, saying what happened in 1984 was not a riot but it was a Sikh genocide.

“Sikhs were systematically targeted and killed. We want the death penalty for him on the 18th (February) so that all criminals know that burning an innocent family should only be punished with death,” Surjeet Singh, a victim from Trilokpuri, told PTI. He said, “Members of my family were burned alive and I have been fighting for justice for 40 years. I was just 11 years old when this incident happened, and for two to three days, I remained hungry and thirsty.

“Today, justice has begun, but the real justice will come when he gets the death penalty on February 18. The 1984 massacre was not a riot... it was a genocide. Sikhs were selectively targeted and killed,” Surjeet Singh said. BJP leader R P Singh welcomed the conviction and credited the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for unearthing evidence that led to the verdict.

“In Saraswati Vihar, a father and son were burned alive. This happened because orders had come from Congress leaders. “We thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for forming the SIT, which brought the truth to light. We hope the court gives him nothing less than the death penalty,” he said.

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee vice president Atma Singh Lubana recalled how Kumar had evaded arrest for decades due to political protection. “In 1990, when the CBI tried to arrest him, he was shielded by those in power. It was only after a change in government that pending cases were reopened. Today, he has been convicted but only a death sentence will bring peace to the riot victims,” Lubana said.

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots erupted following the assassination of the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, by her Sikh bodyguards, leading to the killing of thousands of Sikhs across Delhi and other parts of India. Kumar was found guilty in a case involving the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in Saraswati Vihar on November 1, 1984. This conviction follows sentencing of Kumar in 2018 for life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court for his role in the killings of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar, Palam Colony and the burning of a Gurdwara. His appeal against that conviction is still pending before the Supreme Court.