The trio — Brij Mohan Verma, Mangal Sain and Bhagat Singh — were also slapped with a monetary penalty of Rs 6.2 lakh each.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Surinder S Rathi held that the convicts had to be given the maximum punishment for their acts of “mindless violence committed under the garb of emotional outburst.”

The convicts were immediate neighbours of victim Joginder Singh in Shastri Nagar, North Delhi. On November 1, 1984, the three barged into Singh’s house, beat up the family and looted the house before putting it on fire.

The incident forced Singh and his sons Jagmohan and Gurinder to migrate to Amritsar soon after. They took the witness box during the trial, which helped the court seal the fate of the accused.   

In his order, ASJ Rathi described the anti-Sikh riots as the “most unfortunate time” for the country after Independence.

“I see no justification in claiming that the riots were emotional outburst of masses,” he observed. “There can be no justification, verbose or otherwise, to validate such mayhem and pogrom.”

The court also held that it was “alarming and disturbing” that the convicts committed the crime despite being neighbours.

The court also slammed the state machinery for mishandling the situation and failing to protect the victims’ families.

“History would never forgive police officials who were at the helm of the affairs and the government of the day for their unprecedented slothful and quiescent role,” ASJ Rathi said.

“But for the contrived action and sluggish response of the police and the government, scores of priceless lives could have been saved.”

Finding substance in the arguments of special prosecutor Irfan Ahmed, the court held that the trio’s punishment must serve as a lesson for others.    

Victims Jagmohan Singh and Gurinder Singh were present in court today. Expressing apology to the brothers for the overstretched trial, ASJ Rathi said though no monetary

relief could undo their pain, Rs 18 lakh would be given to them out of the penalty amount as token of compensation.

Jagmohan Singh told Newsline after the verdict that he was satisfied with the judgment as it would serve as a precedent for others.

“I feel vindicated and satisfied that there is still scope for justice in the country,” he said.

His younger brother Gurinder said he had wanted his father, who passed away in 1990, to see the guilty being punished.

Dubbing the verdict as “unprecedented,” a senior official from the Anti-Riots Cell said it was the first case in the Capital where convicts were handed down life imprisonment under charges of attempt to murder.