Friday, Congress leader Jagdish Tytler pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which included murder and inciting a riot with the intent to cause one.
The charges were related to the deaths of three men outside of Pul Bangash Gurudwara in Delhi during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that started after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Special Judge Rakesh Syal took down the witness’s statements and then chose to start the trial in the case. He set October 3 as the date for the meeting.
Following several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on August 30 told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file charges against the Congress leader in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
These sections include 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 295 (damaging or defiling a place of worship), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance), and 302 (murder) read with 109 (abetment).
During the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the Pul Bangash area of the national capital, three people were killed. In January 2024, the investigation agency told the trial court that witnesses had seen Jagdish Tytler stir up a mob.
But the court let Tytler go because there was “lack of ground to proceed against him” for the crime of inciting a riot while carrying a deadly weapon.
The CBI charged Tytler in May 2023, saying that he “incited, instigated, and provoked the mob” that had gathered near the Pul Bangash gurdwara on November 1, 1984. They used an eyewitness to back up their claim.
A session court let Tytler out on bail in August of last year with a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and a surety bond of the same amount.
The terms of the bail were that Tytler would not change any evidence in the case and would not leave the country without the court’s permission.
In 1984, there were riots in Delhi that were against Sikhs. Three people were killed, and a gurdwara was burned down. The event happened the day after Indira Gandhi, who was prime minister at the time, was killed by her Sikh security.
