Witch-hunt: Jagdish Tytler moves Delhi High Court in anti-Sikh riots case

Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on Monday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the framing of charges for murder and other offences against him in a case related to the killing of three people in north Delhi’s Pul Bangash area during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, claiming he was a victim of “witch-hunt”.

Tytler, in his plea, contended that the trial court’s order framing charges against him was perverse, illegal and lacked application of mind.

“The trial court has erroneously framed charges against the petitioner overlooking the settled principles of law on the point of charge,” he said in the petition. The petition is likely to be listed for hearing later in the week.

He claimed that there was no credible evidence to corroborate the allegations levelled against him and the trial court’s order was “misconceived”, had been passed “mechanically” and was liable to be set aside.

He alleged that this was a “classic case of witch-hunt and harassment of the petitioner in which he is now being made to face trial for an alleged offence which was committed more than four decades ago”.

Tytler said he was 80 years old and suffering from various ailments, including heart disease and diabetes. He has sought quashing of the August 30 order of the trial court directing framing of charges against him in the case.