CBI to file status report by Mar 12 on ’84 riots case

A Delhi court on Wednesday give time to the CBI to file status report in an anti-Sikh riots case, reports Naziya Alvi.

A city court on Wednesday gave time till March 12 to the CBI to file status report in an anti-Sikh riots case allegedly involving Congress leader Jagdish Tytler as key witness Jasbir Singh’s petition to record his testimony in California is pending before the Delhi High Court.

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Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjeev Jain extended the time after taking note of the High Court's notice to CBI over Jasbir's petition seeking to record his version through video-conferencing from California.

On December 18 last year, the court ordered CBI to reinvestigate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, rejecting CBI’s closure report that claimed that Jasbir is untraceable. On November 3, same year the Hindustan Times had tracked down Jasbir to California, just a monath after the CBI had sought to close the case against Tytler.

Earlier this week, the High court had sought an assurance from Additional Solicitor General who appeared for the CBI that they would not file a fresh closure report till it pronounces its verdict on Jasbir’s petition. Jasbir’s counsel had also told the court that he should not be forced to come to India as he faced threats to his life. His petition said in many other cases the CBI has recorded the statement of witness outside India but its stand in the present case indicates its lack of will to record Jasbir’s statement and a “collusion between CBI and Tytler”.

The CBI said he had never appeared before the agency to prove his credentials so it would be difficult to record his statement through video conferencing.