In a significant development related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to frame charges against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler. This decision pertains to a case involving the tragic deaths of three individuals during the riots that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
On Friday, the court ruled that the trial against Tytler could proceed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). These include sections related to rioting, murder, and various other charges. Specifically, the court has outlined sections 143, 147, 153A, 188, 295, 436, 451, 380, 149, 302, and 109 of the IPC that are relevant to the case.
The CBI, which filed its charge sheet in May 2023, has accused Tytler, who served as a Union Minister, of inciting and provoking a mob near the Pul Bangash Gurdwara on November 1, 1984.
The incidents occurred in the aftermath of the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a supplementary charge sheet against Tytler on May 20, 2023. Following this, the Rouse Avenue Court issued a summons for Tytler on July 26, 2023, after reviewing the supplementary charge sheet.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vidhi Gupta Anand, who reviewed the case file and witness statements, confirmed there was enough evidence to move forward. Tytler appeared in court on August 5, 2023, and was granted bail.
According to the charge sheet, Tytler allegedly emerged from a white Ambassador car and incited the crowd with inflammatory statements, urging them to attack Sikhs. This provocation is said to have led to the deaths of three people.
Witnesses have recounted seeing Tytler alight from his vehicle and deliver a speech that incited violence, although many were unable to hear his exact words. The anger of the mob was fueled by the recent assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.
In August of the previous year, Tytler was granted anticipatory bail by a sessions court. The bail conditions required him to furnish a personal bond of ₹1 lakh along with a surety of the same amount.
The CBI's charge sheet details the November 1984 incident where a mob allegedly set fire to Gurudwara Pul Bangash, resulting in the deaths of Sardar Thakur Singh, Badal Singh, and Gurcharan Singh. The Justice Nanavati Commission of Inquiry, established in 2000, investigated the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Based on its findings, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed the CBI to pursue the case against Tytler and others.
The CBI's charges against Tytler include serious offences such as rioting under Section 147 and abetment of murder under Section 109 read with Section 302 of the IPC. The court’s decision marks a crucial step in the long-standing legal proceedings surrounding the 1984 riots and reflects ongoing efforts to seek justice for the victims.
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