1984 anti-Sikh riots: Jagdish Tytler moves Delhi court for anticipatory bail

New Delhi, August 1

Senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on Tuesday moved a Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail in a case related to Pul Bangash killings during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Tytler filed his anticipatory bail plea before Special Judge Vikas Dhull, who issued notice to the CBI and directed the probe agency to file its reply by Wednesday, when it’s likely to be taken up for hearing.

Taking cognizance of a CBI chargesheet against Tytler in the Pul Bangash killings case, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vidhi Gupta Anand had on July 26 asked him to appear before it on August 5.

Anand had issued summons to Tytler after taking cognisance of the CBI charge sheet filed on May 20.

Around 3,000 people, mostly Sikhs, had died in the riots in the national capital in the aftermath of assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. Three people were killed and a gurdwara was torched in the Pul Bangash area here on November 1, 1984, a day after the assassination.

In its charge sheet filed before the court, the CBI said Tytler “incited, instigated and provoked” the mob that had assembled at Pul Bangash Gurdwara in Azad Market on November 1, 1984, that resulted in the burning down of the gurdwara and killing of three Sikhs — Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Guru Charan Singh.

The agency has invoked charges under Sections 147 (rioting), 109 (abetment) read with 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), among others, against Tytler, the CBI said. (With PTI Inputs)