New Delhi: Did Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Ashwani Kumar override the opinion of senior officers on the issue of a clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case?
It appears so, as the Joint Director and a DIG of the agency recommended that there was a strong case of murder, rioting and damage to property against the leader in the Bara Hindu Rao riots where a number of Sikhs were allegedly killed by a mob incited by Tytler.
The views of the two officers was sent to Director (Prosecution) S K Sharma, who opined that the witnesses were changing their statements and the evidence against the leader was also weak.
Sticking to the opinion given by Sharma, the CBI director overruled the view of his own officers and approved Sharma's opinion that a closure report should be filed in the case before the court.
Repeated attempts to contact the CBI Director on the issue did not succeed while the CBI spokesman Harsh Bahal said, "The model code of conduct is in force and it is not proper to make any comment on a politically sensitive case."
CBI had informed the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate that the agency wanted to file a cancellation report in the matter to close the investigation.