The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge sheet against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. The charge sheet alleges that Tytler instigated the mob to kill Sikhs near Gurudwara Pul Bangash in Delhi. According to a witness account quoted in the charge sheet, Tytler was seen getting out of his car and provoking the mob to attack Sikhs and loot their shops. Another witness reported seeing Tytler in front of the Gurudwara Pul Bangash, urging the mob to attack the Sikh temple. The charge sheet also mentioned Tytler rebuking people for not carrying out his instructions properly.
The CBI’s investigation has gathered sufficient evidence to suggest that Tytler was part of an unlawful assembly near Gurudwara Pul Bangash on November 1, 1984, violating prohibitory orders. The mob set the Gurudwara on fire and three Sikhs were killed.
Tytler, who has previously been given a clean chit by the CBI on three occasions, was granted anticipatory bail by a Delhi court in the Pul Bangash killings case. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) members staged a protest outside the court where Tytler appeared after being summoned.
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The riots resulted in the deaths of thousands of Sikhs across the country, with independent sources estimating the number at around 8,000, including at least 3,000 in Delhi. Tytler’s involvement in the riots has been a subject of investigation, with the court ordering further inquiry despite the CBI’s previous clearances.