Congress leader Jagdish Tytler instigated the mob to kill Sikhs near Gurudwara Pul Bangash in Delhi, the Central Bureau of Investigation's charge sheet against him, filed on May 20, says. Mr Tytler has been charged with murder in the 39-year-old anti-Sikh riots case.
"Tytler provoked the mob to kill the Sikhs which resulted in Gurudwara Pul Bangash being set on fire by the mob and killing of three persons belonging to Sikh community on 1.11.1984," the CBI said, adding that he incited the mob, which burnt Gurudwara Pul Bangash and killed Thakur Singh and Badal Singh.
The CBI charge sheet quotes a witness saying she saw the Congress leader getting out of his car and instigating the mob.
"She witnessed a mob looting her shop, but she decided to return back as early as possible. While on her way back, on the Main Road close to the Gurdwara Pul Bangash, she saw a white Ambassador car from which accused Jagdish Tytler came out. Accused Jagdish Tytler instigated the mob to first kill Sikhs and then engage in looting. After seeing this, she returned to her house and thereafter took shelter in the house of her neighbour, where she witnessed the bodies of Shri Badel Singh and Shri Gorcharan Singh (an employee of her husband who had stayed at their house in the night of 31.10.1984) being thrown from the roof of neighbour's house and then carried on wooden-cart along with tyres, and then these bodies were burnt using the tyres. She also saw the Gurudwara Pul Bangash being set on fire by the mob," it said.
It mentions another witness who saw a mob carrying petrol canisters, sticks, swords, and rods. Jagdish Tytler, who was then Member of Parliament, was also present in front of the Gurudwara Pul Bangash, he said, adding the Congress leader was instigating the mob to attack the Gurudwara.
"After seeing this, the passengers in the bus advised him to remove his turban and get back to his home. He hurriedly stopped an auto rickshaw which was going in the direction of his home and in that auto rickshaw he returned to his home," the charge sheet stated.
Quoting another witness account from an affidavit filed before the Justice Nanavati Commission of Inquiry in 2000, it said the witness has stated he noticed a group of men standing near TB Hospital Gate (Delhi) where a car arrived carrying accused Jagdish Tytler, who came out and rebuked the people gathered there saying his instructions have not been faithfully carried out.
"Accused Jagdish Tytler also said that his position has been greatly compromised and lowered in the eyes of central leaders. As per this affidavit, accused Jagdish Tytler told the persons present there that only nominal killing of Sikhs has taken place in his constituency as compared to East Delhi, Outer Delhi, Cantt. etc." it said, adding that Mr Tytler also said that he had promised large-scale killing of Sikhs and sought full protection, but "you have betrayed me and let me down".
During investigation, sufficient evidence have come on record that the accused Jagdish was part of the unlawful assembly that had assembled near Gurudawara Pul Baangash on November 1, 1984, violating the prohibitory orders, "instigated, incited, provoked the mob to kill the Sikhs which resulted in the Gurudwara being set on fire by the mob and killing of three persons belonging to the Sikh community and also promoted enmity between different religious groups," the charge sheet concluded.
A Delhi court had on Friday granted anticipatory bail to Jagdish Tytler in the Pul Bangash killings case.
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) members today held a protest outside Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court, where Mr Tytler appeared after being issued a summons.
The probe agency had last month collected voice samples of Mr Tytler in connection with the violence in the Pul Bangash area.
He was named in the Nanavati Commission report that probed the riots.
Mr Tytler, however, has insisted that there is not even a "single evidence" against him.
"What have I done? If there's evidence against me, then I'm prepared to hang myself...It wasn't related to 1984 riots case for which they wanted my voice (sample), but another case," he had said while leaving the CBI's forensics laboratory where his voice samples were collected, news agency ANI reported.
The assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984 after her controversial "Operation Blue Star" led to violent attacks on the Sikh community in the country. At least 3,000 people were killed in the riots. Independent sources estimate the number at 8,000 including at least 3,000 in Delhi. Mr Tytler was given a clean chit by the Central Bureau of Investigation on three occasions, but the court had asked the agency to investigate the matter further.
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