By IANS
New Delhi : A court hearing the 1984 riots case against Congress leader Jagish Tytler Thursday gave to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the address of a key witness the agency said it had not been able to trace.
Jasbir Singh, who has been traced in California, has already surfaced saying that he was ready to depose as witness in the case — relating to an incident on Nov 1, 1984 in the aftermath of the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi when a mob had set afire Gurdwara Pulbangash, killing three people.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Sanjeev Jain has given the address of the witness to the CBI, which had earlier filed an affidavit virtually exonerating Tytler in the case due to what it said was lack of evidence and witnesses.
The court has asked the CBI to let it know by Dec 18 whether video-conferencing facility could be used for Jasbir Singh’s testimony.
The Nanavati Commission, constituted to look into the riots, had claimed evidence against Congress leaders Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and H.K.L. Bhagat for instigating the mobs to violence.
Last month, the CBI claimed that they had no evidence and no witnesses either to substantiate the charges against Tytler.
But senior counsel H.S. Phoolka, representing Sikh organisations, furnished Jasbir Singh’s address and said he had expressed a desire to come forward and record his testimony in the case.
The case in the Gurdwara Pulbangash case was registered on the basis of affidavits filed before the Nanavati Commission.