Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday ordered the framing of charges, including murder and provocation with intent to cause riot, against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the killing of Thakur Singh, Badal Singh, and Gurcharan Singh outside the Pul Bangash gurdwara during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The case has been under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The court scheduled the formal framing of charges, which include unlawful assembly, rioting, defiling a place of worship, abetment, mischief by fire, and theft, alongside murder and incitement to riot, for September 13. On that date, Tytler is expected to appear in court to plead either ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty.’
The CBI, in a chargesheet filed in May last year, accused Tytler, a former Union Minister, of “inciting, instigating, and provoking the mob” that gathered near the gurdwara in November 1984.
CBI’s Eyewitness Testimonies
During concluding arguments in January, the CBI presented eyewitness testimonies and argued that there was sufficient evidence to charge Tytler. According to the CBI, Tytler’s actions led to the mob setting fire to the Pul Bangash gurdwara, resulting in the deaths of three people.
One eyewitness claimed to have seen a mob armed with petrol canisters, sticks, swords, and rods, with Tytler, who was then a Member of Parliament, leading them. Other witnesses reported seeing Tytler emerge from a white Ambassador car and urging the mob to follow his “instructions.”
Tytler’s Defense
Jagdish Tytler has consistently denied the allegations, claiming that there is not a “single piece of evidence” against him. “What have I done? If there is evidence against me, I’m prepared to hang myself,” Tytler said in August last year, emphasizing that the case was unrelated to the 1984 riots for which the CBI sought his voice sample.
In May 2022, Tytler expressed regret over the riots, stating, “I will apologize because it happened in our time. I would apologize a thousand times for what happened to the Sikhs… It was shameful.”
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots were triggered by the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, following the controversial ‘Operation Blue Star.’ Despite being cleared by the CBI on three previous occasions, Tytler’s case was reopened for further investigation following a court directive.
Apologies from Congress
Jagdish Tytler has long been a focal point of criticism for the Congress, with opponents accusing the party of shielding him. In 2012, then-Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh publicly apologized for the riots that claimed thousands of lives. “I bow my head in shame that such a thing happened,” he said, expressing remorse on behalf of the nation.
Subsequently, senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi also expressed regret. Rahul Gandhi stated, “The Prime Minister of UPA (the Congress-led ruling alliance) has apologized, and the President of the party (Sonia Gandhi) expressed regrets. I share their sentiments.”
Tytler, now 80, was named in the Nanavati Commission’s report, which recommended in 2005 that the CBI reopen his case. He is currently out on bail, granted by a sessions court on a bond and surety of ₹1 lakh each, with conditions that he must not tamper with evidence or leave the country without permission.
