Court records statement of witness against Tytler

A Delhi court on Thursday recorded the statement of a prosecution witness in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler.

Special Judge Jitendra Singh heard the testimony of forensic expert S Ingarsal and scheduled his cross-examination for March 7. The court had granted Tytler exemption from personal appearance for the day as he was traveling.

The case pertains to the killing of three persons at Gurdwara Pul Bangash in Delhi during the 1984 riots. The court had earlier recorded the statement of Lakhvinder Kaur, widow of Badal Singh, who was killed in the violence.

A key witness in the case had previously testified that Tytler was seen emerging from a white car in front of the gurdwara on November 1, 1984, and instigating the mob.

“He came out of the car, raised slogans and provoked the mob against the Sikh community,” the witness had told the court. The court had framed charges against the senior Congress leader on September 13, 2023, under Sections 147 (rioting), 109 (abetment) read with 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), among others.

Tytler was granted anticipatory bail in 2023 on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and a surety of the same amount. The court had imposed conditions, barring him from tampering with evidence or leaving the country without permission.

(With agency inputs)