By IANS
New Delhi : A city court Wednesday pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its failure to file a status report in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots involving congress leader Jagdish Tytler.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjeev Jain asked the CBI to file the status report by April 9, the next date for hearing in the case.
“I have not asked you to file a charge-sheet but a status report in the case. It was your duty to file the report,” said the judge while pulling up the investigating agency.
Taking exception to the investigating agency’s failure to file a report, the court asked it to file it within a week.
However, Sanjay Kumar, counsel for CBI, informed the court that after the re-investigation was ordered Dec 18, it had already questioned four witnesses in this case.
In December last year, Jasbir Singh, who lives in California, the US, told Indian media that he had seen Tytler inciting a murderous mob during the riots that followed the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
He accused the CBI of not doing a thorough probe and not taking his statement.
He moved a petition in the Delhi High Court stating that he feared for his life and would rather give his statement through video-conferencing.
However, the CBI submitted to the court that Jasbir’s presence is necessary in India as the agency needs to confront him with other investigated material on record.
The matter is adjourned till Aug 26. However, the court’s interim order directing the CBI not to file any closure report in the case will continue to be in force.
The CBI recommended Sep 29 that Tytler be prosecuted for his involvement in the anti-Sikh riots and the case against Kishan Sharma be closed as no evidence could be found against him.