1984 anti-Sikh riots: Jagdish Tytler asked mob to loot, kill Sikhs, says eyewitness
The eyewitness, 70-year-old Harpal Kaur, deposed before special judge Jitendra Singh of the Rouse Avenue courts, saying she had seen the Congress leader instigating the mob, which went on to torch a gurdwara near Pul Bangash, and asking them to 'loot and kill Sikhs'.
Ms. Kaur added that she kept mum, fearing for the life of her only son and claimed that she revealed the name of the former MP only after her son passed away in 2016.
The judge deferred the cross-examination to Saturday, noting that the eyewitness appeared exhausted after the lengthy proceedings.
The riots took place following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, which left thousands of people, mostly Sikhs, dead across India.
The CBI had investigated the case and filed a chargesheet in May 2023. The agency had accused Mr. Tytler of instigating the mob, which resulted in the deaths of Sardar Thakur Singh, Badal Singh, and Gurcharan Singh. The court framed charges of murder and other offences against the former Congress MP on September 13 last year.
Close to 400 people in 27 cases have been convicted in various cases pertaining to the anti-Sikh riots. Of them, about 50 people, including former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, have been convicted of murder.
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