1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case: Court Approves Supplementary Chargesheet against Jagdish Tytler

NEW-DELHI: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday approved a supplementary charge sheet filed by the CBI against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 39-year-old anti-Sikh riots case. The hearing of the Pul Bangash case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots took place today. The court has transferred the case to the special MP-MLA court. The next hearing of this matter will now be held on June 8.

According to the CBI, on November 1, 1984, a day after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a mob set ablaze a gurdwara in Pul Bangash area, killing three people. Tytler is accused of inciting the crowd in his speech 39-years-ago. In the incident, three Sikhs- Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Guru Charan Singh were martyred.

The CBI has brought charges against Tytler under sections 147 (rioting), 109 (abetment) and 302 (Murder) of the IPC. In the case of Sikh riots, CBI had given clean chit to Tytler thrice earlier also. The first clean chit was given in 2007. But the court completely rejected it and ordered re-investigation. After this, in 2013, CBI again issued clean chit to Tytler due to lack of evidence. The petitioners again reached the court, the investigation took place and Tytler was again saved. Finally in December 2015, the court directed the CBI to further investigate the case and said that it would monitor the investigation every two months to ensure that every aspect is probed.

The court had said in its judgment that the CBI should record the statements of all those witnesses who declared themselves as eyewitnesses and saw Tytler instigating the riots. The statements of the witnesses who had approached the CBI to record their testimony should also be taken. After this CBI did another investigation and named Tytler in the charge sheet.