By IANS
New Delhi : Jagdish Tytler, a senior Congress leader and former central minister, Thursday got a clean chit in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case, as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a court that there was no evidence against him.
The CBI in its charge sheet on Sep 29 had claimed that Jasbir Singh, who had allegedly heard Tytler inciting a mob to kill Sikhs, could not be examined as he was currently settled in the US and his whereabouts were not known.
On Oct 4, two Sikh organisations, the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee and the November 1984 Carnage Justice Committee, had moved an application seeking a copy of the charge sheet so as to file a petition against the agency’s claim.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Sanjeev Jain directed senior counsel H.S. Phoolka, representing the Sikh organisations, to furnish the address of Jasbir Singh as he claimed that the witness had expressed a desire to come forward and record his testimony in the case.
“As I understand, you rely upon the testimony of Jasbir Singh. Give me his address and I would direct the CBI to trace him,” the judge said.
According to the charge sheet filed by CBI, Jasbir Singh in his affidavit before the Justice Nanavati Commission on Aug 31, 2000 had averred “he had overheard Tytler rebuking his men on the night of November 3, 1984 for nominal killing of Sikhs in his constituency.”
Meanwhile, the witness told a TV news channel that he had never been contacted by the CBI and would come to the court only when the agency provided security to him and his family.
Tytler stated there was a conspiracy against him. “No agency has ever found any evidence against me. Where is this man for the past 23 years?” he said.
The court, however, did not accede to the request of counsel for a copy of the charge sheet. It had issued a notice to the agency on the application of counsel.
The CBI in its reply said that the investigation in the case was conducted after taking account of “all aspects including the conspiracy angle”.
The case relates to an incident Nov 1, 1984 in the aftermath of the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi when a mob had set afire Gurdwara Pulbangash, killing three people – Sardar Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Gurcharan Singh.
The case was registered on the basis of affidavits filed before the Nanavati Commission.
Meanwhile, the kin of the three victims were waiting for justice.
“We are living on a ray of hope to see the real culprits get punished for the past 23 years. The CBI is not performing its duty well. We want only justice so that the souls of those who died in the riots may rest in peace,” said Amarjeet Singh, whose two brothers died in the massacre in the capital.
“We have lost our near and dear ones in the riots and will not allow the CBI to let those who are responsible for it go scot-free,” said Manjeet Singh, whose brother was killed by an angry mob.