CBI defends clean chit to Tytler in anti-Sikh riots case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Wednesday justified its closure report that gave a clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case before a city court.
Concluding its argument, CBI said that the statements by the witnesses in this case were false.

“Statement by witness Jasbir Singh is totally false and he made such statements with an intention to falsely implicate Tytler,” said CBI prosecutor Sanjay Kumar.

Arguing before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rakesh Pandit, the probe agency submitted that Surender Singh, another witness in this case, had also given contradictory statements before the Justice Nanavati Commission and the CBI as well.

The court, meanwhile, refused to give further time to the CBI to advance arguments on its closure report in view of a recent directive by the Delhi High Court to wind up trial in all 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases within six months.

“The court does not have much time. It is a straight-jacket situation,” Pandit said.

The counsel for victims said they will file a protest petition in the matter and the court directed them to do so by Feb 24.

The alleged role of Tytler in a case related to the killing of three people Nov 1, 1984, in the aftermath of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination, was re-investigated by the CBI after a court had earlier refused to accept a closure report against him in December 2007.