A pivotal development unfolded in the legal saga of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a Delhi court, on Friday, formally charged Congress leader Jagdish Tytler with murder among other offences. The decision sets the stage for a trial that revisits one of the darkest chapters in Indian political history.
Presiding over the case, Special Judge Rakesh Siyal ruled that there was ample evidence to proceed against Tytler, leading to his indictment. The charges, pronounced following Tytler’s plea of not guilty, stem from allegations of his active involvement in inciting violence against Sikhs in the aftermath of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
According to the charge sheet, a witness reported seeing Tytler emerge from a white Ambassador car outside Gurudwara Pul Bangash on November 1, 1984, where he allegedly incited a crowd by proclaiming, “Kill the Sikhs, they have killed our mother.” The ensuing violence reportedly led to the deaths of three individuals.
The court has also directed that charges be framed for various other offences including unlawful assembly, rioting, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, house trespass, and theft. This comprehensive list of charges encapsulates the severe implications of Tytler’s alleged actions during the riots.
