Congress’s Jagdish Tytler Named In Fresh CBI Chargesheet In 1984 Riots Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 39-year-old anti-Sikh riots case. The Congress leader was named in the chargesheet following fresh evidence against him, officials said.

The probe agency had last month collected voice samples of Mr Tytler in connection with the violence in the national capital’s Pul Bangash area in 1984, where three people were killed. The Congress leader is accused of inciting a mob that murdered the victims.

He was named in the Nanavati Commission report that probed the riots.

Mr Tytler, however, has insisted that there is not even a “single evidence” against him.

“What have I done? If there’s evidence against me, then I’m prepared to hang myself…It wasn’t related to 1984 riots case for which they wanted my voice (sample), but another case,” he said while leaving the the CBI’s forensics laboratory where his voice samples were collected, news agency ANI reported.

The assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984 after her controversial “Operation Blue Star” led to violent attacks on the Sikh community in the country. At least 3,000 people were killed in the riots. Independent sources estimate the number at 8,000 including at least 3,000 in Delhi. Mr Tytler was given a clean chit by the Central Bureau of Investigation on three occasions, but the court had asked the agency to investigate the matter further.

Once a formidable leader of the Congress in Delhi, Mr Tytler has long been an embarrassment for the party, which has been accused by the BJP, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD, and other rivals of shielding its leaders accused in the anti-Sikh riots.

Jagdish Tytler was a minister in the Manmohan Singh government in 2004 but had to quit in a firestorm of protests.

He was included in its committee for the Delhi municipal election last year, sparking a huge controversy. He was also supposed to join the Delhi leg of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ambitious pan-India foot march, the Bharat Jodo Yatra, but skipped it at the last moment, presumably to avoid further controversy.