Delhi court seeks list of FIRs, trial outcomes in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case against Jagdish Tytler

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS): A Delhi court on Monday asked the counsel of Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, an accused in the Pul Bangash killings during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, to submit a list of FIRs filed by the Delhi Police and CBI, along with the outcomes of investigations and trials.

The court, presided over by Special Judge Rakesh Syal, adjourned the matter until January 9 following the defence counsel's submission that certified copies of previous charge sheets were yet to be received.

Advocate Manu Sharma, representing Tytler, informed the court about the delay in obtaining certified copies and stated that the copying agency would begin preparing them post the winter vacations.

In response to the court's query, Sharma revealed that three FIRs were lodged by the Delhi Police, and a total of four charge sheets were filed by both the Delhi Police and CBI against his client.

The CBI had initially filed a closure report for Tytler, but a subsequent charge sheet has been submitted against him in this ongoing legal saga.

Earlier, Sharma had submitted that he has not received certified copies of certain documents related to the case. Besides, he had urged the court to verify whether the entire record of the CBI investigation, as well as that of the Delhi Police, has reached the court.

At this, the court had said that it would get the same verified.

Earlier, Additional Sessions Metropolitan Magistrate Vidhi Gupta Anand had said that the offences against Tytler are exclusively triable by the Sessions Court and had committed the file to the Principal District and Sessions Judge of the Rouse Avenue Court.

Anand had noted that record reveals that the charge sheet, among other things, has been filed under Sections 302 (murder) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and these offences are exclusively triable by the Sessions Court.

The court had issued notice with regard to committal of matter to public prosecutor Amit Jindal for the CBI, and had directed Tytler to be present before the Sessions Court on the set date for next hearing.

The case pertains to setting the Pul Bangash Gurdwara at Azad Market on fire by a mob on November 1, 1984. Three persons, namely Sardar Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Gurcharan Singh, were burnt to death. The incident took place a day after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards.

In its charge sheet filed before the court, the CBI has said that Tytler incited, instigated and provoked the mob that had assembled at the gurdwara, which resulted in the burning down of the shrine and killing of the three persons.

Charges under Sections 147 (rioting), 109 (abetment) read with 302 (murder) of the IPC, among others, have been invoked against Tytler by the probe agency.