Sajjan Kumar death: Commissions, committees that probed the 1984 anti-Sikh riots

admin — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:31:00 +0000

Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar leaves a Delhi court in 2010 after appearing in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who was serving a life sentence after being convicted in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, died on Thursday (August 20, 2026). He was convicted only in 2018, more than three decades after the carnage, which broke out following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The riots, which claimed over 3,000 lives, have been probed by various commissions and committees over the years.

Marwah Commission (1984)

IPS offcer Ved Marwah was assigned the job of enquiring into the role of the police during the November 1984 carnage. A committee under the name of Marwah Commission was constituted to look into the case. While Marwah was still conducting the inquiry, many police officers approached the Delhi High Court opposing it. As Marwah completed his inquiry towards the middle of 1985, he was directed by the Home Ministry not to proceed further. Complete records of the Marwah Commission were taken over by the government and later transferred to the Misra Commission.

Also read |Police role was shameful, says Ved Marwah

Misra Commission (1985)

Appointed in May 1985, the Misra Commissionn was headed by Justice Ranganath Misra, then sitting Judge of the Supreme Court. Misra submitted the report in August 1986 and it was made public in February 1987. The commission recommended the formation of three more committees.

Jain-Banerjee Committee (1987)

The Jain-Banerjee Committee, headed by former Judge of Delhi High Court Justice M.L. Jain, and retired Inspector-General of Police A.K. Banerjee, recommended registration of cases against the then Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in August 1987, but no case was registered. The Delhi High Court disbanded the committee in October that year.

Potti-Rosha Committee (1990)

Formed by the V.P. Singh-led National Front government, the Potti-Rosha Committee with former Gujarat High Court judge Justice P.S. Poti, and retired Indian Police Service officer P.A. Rosha as its members, also recommended filing of cases against Kumar. The Central Bureau of Investigation made an attempt to arrest the senior Congress leader, but he managed to secure anticipatory bail. Justice Poti and Rosha resigned, and the panel’s term ended in October 1990.

Jain-Aggarwal Committee (1990)

Retired judge of the Delhi High Court Justice J.D. Jain, and retired Uttar Pradesh DGP D.K. Aggarwal were the members of the Jain-Aggarwal Committee formed in 1990. It recommended registration of 48 cases, including cases against Congress leaders H.K.L. Bhagat, Kumar, Dharamdas Shastri and Jagdish Tytler. It wound up operation in August 1993 with no action taken against the politicians.

Narula Committee (1993)

The Narula Committee, headed by Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ranjit Singh Narula was appointed in December 1993 by the Madan Lal Khurana-led BJP government in Delhi. It submitted its report in January 1994, recommending registration of cases against Bhagat, Kumar and Mr. Tytler.

Nanavati Commission (2000)

Constituted by the NDA government, the Nanavati Commission headed by retired Supreme Court judge G.T. Nanavati, submitted its report in 2005. It also recommended filing of case against Kumar and the reopening of only four of the 241 cases closed by the police. A case was registered against Kumar following the Commission’s report.

Centre-appointed Special Investigation Team (2015)

The Special Investigation Team, appointed by the Narendra Modi government in 2015, re-investigated a number of cases linked to the riots. But it closed 186 cases without any further investigation.

Supreme Court-appointed SIT (2018)

A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, formed its own three-member Special Investigation Team in 2018 to probe the 186 cases that were not investigated further by the Centre-appointed SIT.

Published – August 20, 2026 08:01 pm IST

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Congress Leader Jagdish Tytler Pleads ‘Not Guilty’ In 1984 Sikh Riots Case

admin — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 07:24:34 +0000

New Delhi:

Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on Friday pleaded not guilty to charges – including murder and provocation with intent to cause riot – relating to the killing of three men outside Delhi’s Pul Bangash gurdwara during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.

“Today, Jagdish Tytler pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges. Now the case will go for evidence… the court has fixed October 3 (for the trial),” Advocate HS Phoolka told reporters, lamenting the four-decade delay. “It has taken 40 years for this trial to begin. It is very unfortunate and shows how a powerful person can cripple the whole system. Hopefully, the trial will conclude soon and he will be jailed.”

A Delhi court, two weeks ago, had ordered framing of the charges, ruling enough evidence had been provided by the Central Bureau of Investigation for the case to proceed to a trial.

#WATCH | 1984 Pul Bangash Sikh killings case | Delhi: Advocate HS Phoolka says, “Today, Jagdish Tytler pleaded not guilty to the charges. So, now the case will go for evidence, the Court has fixed 3rd October. From 3rd October, evidence will start…It has taken 40 years for… pic.twitter.com/Gwv76HssJF

— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2024

Apart from murder and intent to cause a riot, Tytler faces charges of unlawful assembly, rioting, disobedience to order, defiling a place of worship, abetment), mischief by fire, and theft.

READ | Enough To Charge Jagdish Tytler In Anti-Sikh Riots Case: Court

The CBI, in a chargesheet filed in May last year, had accused Tytler, a former Union Minister, of “inciting, instigating and provoking the mob” assembled near the gurdwara in November 1984.

CBI’s Eyewitness Statements

In concluding arguments in January, the federal agency presented eyewitnesses’ statements and told the court there is sufficient evidence to frame charges against the Congress leader.

“Tytler provoked the mob to kill Sikhs which resulted in Gurudwara Pul Bangash being set on fire by the mob and killing of three persons…” the CBI had said.

READ | CBI Says Eyewitnesses Saw Tytler Instigating Mob During 1984 Riots

One witness claimed to have seen a mob carrying petrol canisters, sticks, swords, and rods, with Tytler, then a Member of Parliament, in front of the gurudwara, while others claimed to have seen him emerge from a car – a white Ambassador – and exhort the gathered mob to carry out his “instructions”.

Tytler Defends Himself

Tytler, however, has insisted there is not a “single (piece of) evidence”.

“What have I done? If there is evidence against me I’m prepared to hang myself… It wasn’t related to 1984 riots case for which they (the CBI) wanted my voice sample…” he had said in August last year.

In May 2022 Tytler had said, “I will apologise because it (the riots) happened in our time. I would apologise a thousand times for what happened to the Sikhs… I would say it was shameful.”

The assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, by her Sikh bodyguards, in 1984 after her controversial ‘Operation Blue Star’, led to violent riots. Tytler got a clean chit from the CBI on three previous occasions, but after the last the court directed the agency to investigate further.

Congress’, Manmohan Singh’s Apology

Jagdish Tytler has long been a point of attack for the Congress’ rivals, including, in the past, current allies Aam Aadmi Party. The party has been accused of shielding its accused leaders.

In 2012 Congress veteran Dr Manmohan Singh, then the Prime Minister, had apologised to Members of Parliament and the country for the riots that killed thousands. “I have no hesitation in apologising to not only the Sikhs… but also the nation. I bow my head in shame that such a thing happened,” he had said.

Subsequently the party’s senior leaders, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi also apologised and expressed regret; Mr Gandhi had said, “Prime Minister of UPA (the Congress-led ruling alliance) has apologised and President of the party (Ms Gandhi) expressed regrets. I share their sentiments..”

Tytler, 80, once a key Congress leader in Delhi, was also named in a report by the Nanavati Commission. His case was one of the three the panel recommended, in 2005, be reopened by the CBI.

Tytler is out on bail granted by a sessions court on a bond and surety of Rs 1 lakh each. That court had also imposed certain conditions on him, including guarantees that he will not tamper with the evidence or leave the country without permission.

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