Delhi Court Orders Charges Against Jagdish Tytler in 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case

A Delhi court ruled on Friday to frame charges against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in connection with the killing of three people during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Pul Bangash. The court has scheduled a hearing for September 13 to determine Tytler's plea regarding the charges.

Forty years after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, a Delhi court on Friday ordered the framing of charges for murder and other offenses against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a case related to the killing of three individuals in Pul Bangash, north Delhi. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cited a witness in its charge sheet, stating that Tytler was seen instigating a mob on November 1, 1984, resulting in the killings.

Special CBI judge Rakesh Siyal asserted there was sufficient evidence against Tytler, a former union minister, to proceed with the trial. The charges include unlawful assembly, rioting, promoting enmity between groups, house trespass, and theft.

The court has scheduled a hearing for September 13, where Tytler will declare his plea regarding the charges. If he pleads not guilty, the judge will formally frame the charges. Tytler received anticipatory bail in the case in August last year. The anti-Sikh riots erupted after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.