Delhi court summons Jagdish Tytler in 1984 riots case

The incident in question occurred on November 1, 1984 — a day after then PM Indira Gandhi was assassinated — when a mob set a gurdwara afire, leading to the death of three people

A Delhi court on Wednesday took cognisance of a supplementary charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the setting afire of Gurdwara Pul Bangash in north Delhi in November 1984 — an incident in which three people died — and issued summons to Congress leader and former Union minister Jagdish Tytler.

Congress leader and former Union minister Jagdish Tytler. (PTI)

After going through all the material placed on record, additional chief metropolitan magistrate Vidhi Gupta Anand noted that “sufficient material has been placed on record before the court to move forward with the case”. Tytler will now physically appear before the court on August 5.

The incident in question occurred on November 1, 1984 — a day after then PM Indira Gandhi was assassinated — when a mob set the gurdwara afire, leading to the death of three people —Badal Singh, Sardar Thakur Singh and Gurbachan Singh.

The Delhi Police had initially registered a case on November 1, 1984, and a charge sheet was filed against 31 accused. However, after a trial, all the accused were acquitted by the sessions court on April 10, 1992.

Later, on directions of the ministry of home affairs (MHA), CBI registered a case on November 22, 2005, considering the recommendations given by the Nanavati Commission, formed in 2000 to investigate the anti-Sikh riots. CBI filed its first charge sheet on September 28, 2007, seeking the prosecution of one accused under Indian Penal Code sections 147 (rioting), 149 (member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 109 (abetment, if act is committed in consequence for which no express punishment is made) read with 302 (murder), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship), 427 (mischief causing damage amounting fifty rupees) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house).

The agency had in the same charge sheet given Tytler a clean chit, submitting that no material evidence was found. However, this was denied by the court, and a further investigation was ordered.