In a major development in the long-standing 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases, the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court has ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to frame murder charges against veteran Congress leader Jagdish Tytler. The court found substantial material suggesting Tytler’s involvement in inciting violence during the riots.
The charges pertain to the tragic deaths of Thakur Singh, Badal Singh, and Gurcharan Singh near the Pul Bangash gurdwara during the riots that erupted following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The court has mandated charges of murder and provocation with intent to cause a riot against Tytler.
The CBI, in its chargesheet filed in May 2023, accused the former Union Minister of instigating the mob that led to the killings. Eyewitness accounts and other evidences presented by the CBI support claims of Tytler inciting the crowd by allegedly encouraging violence against Sikhs.
According to one witness’s testimony, Tytler emerged from a white Ambassador car and incited the assembled crowd by exclaiming, “Kill the Sikhs, they have murdered our mother!” This incitement reportedly fueled the mob’s violent actions, leading to the deaths of the three men. While many witnesses could not hear Tytler’s exact words, they confirmed seeing him make an inflammatory speech.
The CBI has levied multiple charges against Tytler, including under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 109 (abetment), and 302 (murder). Despite receiving a clean chit in three prior cases, the new directive marks a significant shift in the legal proceedings against Tytler, who is currently out on bail under strict conditions set by a sessions court.
The court emphasized the need for a rigorous review of the evidence presented, stating that the judicial interpretation must reflect the gravity of the accusations and the historical context of the riots.
