‘He came to Gurudwara Pul Bangash’: Witness; Delhi court frames murder charges against Jagdish Tytler in 1984 Anti-Sikh riots case

Special Judge Rakesh Siyal directed that Tytler face trial after he pleaded not guilty to the offences.

New Delhi: Charges of murder and other offences were framed against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler by a Delhi court on Friday, 13 September 2024 in a case related to the 1984-anti Sikh riots case.

Special Judge Rakesh Siyal directed that Tytler face trial after he pleaded not guilty to the offences.

The Special Judge had, on August 30, said there was sufficient ground to proceed against Tytler.

A witness had earlier submitted in the charge sheet that Tytler came out of a white Ambassador car in front of Gurudwara Pul Bangash in Delhi on November 1, 1984, and instigated the mob by saying, “Kill the Sikhs, they have killed our mother”, that led to ‘murder’ of three people.

The court ordered the framing of charges for various offences, including unlawful assembly, rioting, promoting enmity between different groups, house trespass and theft.

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots broke out following the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on 31 October 1984 and anti-Sikh riots erupted the following day on November 1, 1984.

About five thousand were killed in Delhi alone and about 10 thousand across India.

The Sikh neighbourhoods of Delhi witnessed a very high level of massacre of the members of the community.

In December 2018, the first high-profile conviction for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots took place with the arrest of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court.