Media hype over 1984 riots case will die down, says Tytler

Former Union Minister of State for Non-Resident Indians Jagdish Tytler said today that the media hype over reinvestigating the 1984 Sikh riots case was a farce, and added that things would settle down by tomorrow.

By Ayesha Qazi

New Delhi, Dec 18 : Former Union Minister of State for Non-Resident Indians Jagdish Tytler said today that the media hype over reinvestigating the 1984 Sikh riots case was a farce, and added that things would settle down by tomorrow.

Tytler resigned last year after he was accused of playing a role in perpetrating the massacre of Sikhs following the October 31, 1984 assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Tytler has asserted that Jasbir Singh, a key witness in the case, was a plan that would never surface to depose before the court.

Earlier, in the day, the Kakardooma Court in Delhi directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to reinvestigate the role of Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The court ordered the CBI to submit its report by January 15.

Last month, the CBI claimed that they had no evidence and no witnesses to substantiate Jasbir Singh's charges against Tytler.

In its chargesheet of September 29, the CBI had claimed that Jasbir, who had allegedly heard Tytler inciting a mob to kill Sikhs, could not be examined as he was currently settled in the USA, and his whereabouts were unknown.

Two Sikh organisations - Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee and November '84 Carnage Justice Committee - had on October 4, moved an application seeking a copy of the said chargesheet, so as to aid them in the filing of a petition against the CBI's claim.

According to the CBI chargesheet, Singh had told the Nanavati Commission on August 31, 2000 that "he had overheard Tytler rebuking his men on the night of November 3, 1984 ... for the nominal killing of Sikhs in his constituency."

The court refused to accede to the counsel's request for a copy of the chargesheet.

ANI