Tytler case: 1984 riots victims still hope for justice
October 30th, 2009 - 4:29 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Twenty five years after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, those who lost their family members have not given up hope of getting justice, and are pinning their hopes on the court hearing the case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler.
“We are left with only one hope of getting justice and that is from the court. We are praying to god that court should help us in punishing the guilty. The last 25 years was a terrible experience for all of us,” said Amrit Singh Lovely, a resident of Tilak Vihar in west Delhi.
He said some of the victims’ families will protest outside the court Saturday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had, at the last hearing, said the witnesses, who deposed about the alleged role of Tytler in the anti-Sikh riots, were “not reliable”.
Additional CBI public prosecutor submitted before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rakesh Pandit that the two witnesses, Surinder Singh - who died recently - and Jasbir Singh, were unreliable as they have contradicted their statements on various occasions.
Citing the case of Surinder, who had deposed against Tytler, the CBI counsel said Surinder, in his first affidavit before the Nanavati Commission in January 2002, had stated that Tytler along with others had attacked Gurdwara Pul Bangash in north Delhi and killed Thakur Singh and Badal Singh. But in another affidavit in August 2002, Surinder had denied Tytler’s role, he added.
The probe agency will Saturday continue its argument on the version given by Jasbir Singh.
Jasbir too claimed to be witness to the Nov 1, 1984, incident when a mob had set on fire the gurdwara, killing three people.
The CBI had last month during the hearing also placed before the court audio visual evidence showing that Tytler was near the body of assassinated prime minister Indira Gandhi at the time of the incident.
CBI, which had April 2 sought to close the case against Tytler claiming there wasn’t sufficient evidence against him, had questioned the jurisdiction of a magisterial court and sought the matter to be transferred to a sessions court.
The court, however, was not convinced with the CBI’s arguments and decided to hear the closure report.
Over 3,000 Sikhs were killed in the riots in various cities following the assassination of Indira Gandhi on Oct 31, 1984.
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- US-based Sikh wants to depose against Tytler - Jan 25, 2012
- Anti-Sikh riots: Court allows examination of Tytler CD - Oct 31, 2009
- Don't close riots case probe against Tytler, court told (Lead) - Feb 16, 2012
- 1984 anti-Sikh riots: CBI questioned in Tytler case - Mar 29, 2010
- 1984 anti-Sikh riots: CBI seeks dismissal of case against Tytler - Jul 24, 2010
- Tytler given clean chit in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case - Apr 27, 2010
- 1984 riots case: CBI terms witness 'unreliable' - Dec 01, 2009
- Sajjan claims right to confront witness with proof - May 23, 2012
- 1984 riots: Sajjan Kumar's plea dismissed - Jun 02, 2012
- CBI asked why it termed 1094 riots witnesses unreliable - Apr 01, 2010
- Rajya Sabha adjourned over Tytler acquittal - Apr 29, 2010
- Sikhs demand death sentence for Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler - May 05, 2010
- Sajjan Kumar accuses CBI of playing fraud - May 19, 2012
- Police kept eyes closed during 1984 riots, CBI tells court - Mar 31, 2012
Tags: amrit singh, anti sikh riots, badal, bangash, cbi, central bureau of investigation, congress leader, indira gandhi, jagdish tytler, jasbir singh, nanavati commission, north delhi, pandit, praying to god, prime minister indira, public prosecutor, surinder singh, twenty five years, visual evidence, west delhi