Sajjan Kumar has been convicted in the case related to the killing of five people in the Delhi Cantonment area following the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

The Delhi High Court today (December 17) convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case. In convicting Sajjan Kumar, the high court overturned a lower court order that had acquitted the Congress leader in the case. The Delhi High Court also sentenced Sajjan Kumar to life in prison saying, 'the trial court ignored evidence of conspiracy'.

Captain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal and former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar have also been sentenced to life imprisonment. Kishan Khokkar and former legislator Mahender Yadav have been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel delivered the verdict in the case related to the killing of five people in the Delhi Cantonment area following the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

"1984 riots were a crime against humanity. Need to assure the countless victims that truth will prevail," the high court said while hearing pleas filed by the the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging a trial's court judgment where Sajjan Kumar was acquitted and five others were convicted in the case.

The CBI had filed an appeal challenging the acquittal of Kumar and said that the trial court "erred in acquitting Sajjan Kumar as it was he who had instigated the mob during the riots".

Delhi High Court comes down heavily on Delhi Police

The Delhi HC rapped Delhi police for "failing to prevent and control the violence" in the riots case. "The Delhi Police failed to register separate FIRs. There was nothing registered in daily diary by the police," the court said.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a series of tweets hailed the Delhi High Court verdict. "Sajjan Kumar’s conviction by the Delhi High Court is a delayed vindication of Justice. The Congress and the Gandhi family legacy will continue to pay for the sins of 1984 riots," Jaitley tweeted.

"Justice for the victims of 1984 was buried by the Congress the NDA restored fairness and accountability," he said in another tweet.

The case

In 2013, the trial court had convicted five others -- former councillor Balwan Khokkar, former legislator Mahender Yadav, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal --for their involvement in the case.

Sajjan Kumar and five others were tried in the case involving the killing of five Sikhs - Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh, who were members of the same family - by a mob in Delhi Cantonment's Raj Nagar area.

The five convicts have filed appeals against their conviction and sentencing. The CBI filed appeals and alleged that all of them "planned communal riot" and were involved in "religious cleansing" after the then Prime Minister's assassination. The crime investigating agency also challenged Sajjan Kumar's acquittal.

The case against Sajjan Kumar and others was registered in 2005 on a recommendation by the Justice GT Nanavati Commission.