Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was awarded life imprisonment in a murder case during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. His escaping the death sentence brings the spotlight back on the rarest of rare debate.

The prosecution argued that Sajjan's actions triggered "mass genocide" against a community and so fell under the rarest of rare category, reserved for capital punishment in India. But the Delhi court rejected the demand, citing Sajjan's old age, series of illnesses and satisfactory conduct in jail.

A Delhi court sentenced Sajjan for murdering Jaswant Singh (and) his son, Tarundeep Singh in November 1984. The court found sufficient material to form “prima facie opinion" that Sajjan had led a mob that attacked Jaswant’s house, killed the father-son duo and set their house on fire. The verdict sparked a gamut of negative reactions among the victims' families and Sikh groups who have awaited justice for over four decades.

What exactly happened during the 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots In Delhi? We break it down for you...

Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma