Anti-Sikh riots: Court directs framing of charges against Tytler
A Delhi court has directed the framing of charges, including murder and provocation with intent to cause riot, against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. The case pertains to the killing of Thakur Singh, Badal Singh, and Gurcharan Singh outside Pul Bangash gurdwara in Delhi during the anti-Sikh riots. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered this case.
Tytler to face multiple charges in court
Formal charges, including unlawful assembly, rioting, disobedience to orders, defiling a place of worship, abetment, mischief by fire, theft, murder, and intent to cause a riot, will be framed on September 13. On this date, Tytler will be present to enter a plea of "guilty" or "not guilty." The CBI, in a chargesheet filed last May, accused the former Union Minister of "inciting, instigating, and provoking the mob" near the gurdwara in November 1984.
CBI accuses Tytler of inciting mob violence
During concluding arguments in January, the federal agency presented eyewitness statements, asserting that there is ample evidence to charge the Congress leader. The CBI said, "Tytler provoked the mob to kill Sikhs, leading to... Gurudwara...being set on fire and...deaths of three people." One witness reported seeing a mob with petrol canisters and weapons, with Tytler, then an MP, in front of the gurudwara. Others saw him emerge from a white Ambassador car, directing the mob to follow his "instructions."
Tytler denies allegations
Tytler, however, has claimed there is not a "single (piece of) evidence" against him. He said, "What have I done? If there is evidence against me I'm prepared to hang myself...It wasn't related to the 1984 riots case for which they (the CBI) wanted my voice sample." In May 2022, Tytler had said, "I will apologize because it (the riots) happened in our time...I would say it was shameful."
Tytler has been a target for Congress's rivals
Following the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984—Tytler was cleared by the CBI three times—but the court has since directed further investigation. Tytler has been a target for the Congress's rivals, including current allies like the Aam Aadmi Party, who accuse the party of protecting its leaders. In 2012, then-PM Dr Manmohan Singh apologized to Parliament and the nation for the riots. "I have no hesitation in apologizing to not only the Sikhs... but also the nation," he said.
Tytler currently out on bail
Following the riots, senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi also apologized and expressed regret. Rahul, "PM...has apologized and President of the party (Sonia) expressed regrets. I share their sentiments." Notably, Tytler, 80, formerly a prominent Congress leader in Delhi, was mentioned in a Nanavati Commission report. In 2005, the panel recommended that his case, among three, be reopened by the CBI. Tytler is currently out on bail, granted by a sessions court.
