NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday placed Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on trial for his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The case, centered on the Pul Bangash Gurudwara riots, involves the killings of three Sikhs—Thakur Singh, Badal Singh, and Gurcharan Singh—on November 1, 1984, following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
On Friday, Special Judge Rakesh Syal of Rouse Avenue Court formally framed charges against Tytler, who appeared in court and denied all allegations. The court has scheduled the recording of prosecution evidence to begin on October 3, with Lakhvinder Kaur, the widow of one of the victims, Badal Singh, set to be the first witness.
The charges have been framed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 143 (unlawful assembly), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 188 (disobedience to an order promulgated by a public servant), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of an offense committed in prosecution of a common object), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship), 380 (theft in a dwelling house), and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc.) read with 302 (murder) and 109 (abetment) IPC.
However, Tytler has been discharged under Section 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon) of the IPC. The court has scheduled the formal framing of charges for September 13, and Tytler has been directed to appear on that date.
The case traces back to the horrific violence that erupted in Delhi following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. On November 1, 1984, a mob gathered near the Pul Bangash gurdwara, leading to the deaths of three people. According to the charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in May 2023, Tytler, a former Union Minister, is accused of inciting the mob with inflammatory remarks.
The CBI’s charge sheet details testimony from a witness who alleged that Tytler arrived at the scene in a white Ambassador car and provoked the crowd by shouting, “Kill the Sikhs, they have killed our mother!” This incitement reportedly fueled the mob’s fury, leading to the tragic deaths.
Last year, Tytler was granted anticipatory bail by a sessions court, requiring him to post a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh along with a surety of the same amount. As part of the bail conditions, Tytler was prohibited from tampering with evidence and from leaving the country without court approval.
