Jagdish Tytler Faces Charges in 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Case

Forty years after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Congress leader Jagdish Tytler has been charged with murder and other offences in a Delhi court. The charges include unlawful assembly, rioting, and promoting enmity. Tytler allegedly incited a mob that resulted in the killing of three Sikhs and the burning of a gurdwara.

In a landmark development, a Delhi court has framed charges for murder and other serious offences against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, 40 years after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that shook the nation.

Special Judge Rakesh Siyal directed that Tytler face trial, rejecting his plea of not guilty to the alleged crimes.

Tytler is accused of inciting a mob that led to the killing of three Sikhs and the burning of a gurdwara in the Pul Bangash area of north Delhi on November 1, 1984.

The charges include unlawful assembly, rioting, promoting enmity between different groups, and defiling of a religious place, as stated in a charge sheet filed by the CBI on May 20, 2023.

A witness recounted in the charge sheet that Tytler exited a white Ambassador car, inciting violence with anti-Sikh rhetoric, ultimately leading to the deaths of three individuals.

These events transpired in the chaotic aftermath of the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by her Sikh bodyguards.

In a related development, Tytler had been granted anticipatory bail by a sessions court in August last year.

(With inputs from agencies.)