NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday accepted a bail bond furnished by Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a case connected with the Pul Bangash killings during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to provide a copy of the chargesheet to Tytler.
The court will next hear the matter on August 11.
Citing witnesses, CBI claimed in its chargesheet, "Tytler provoked the mob to kill the Sikhs which resulted in Gurdwara Pul Bangash being set on fire by the mob and killing of three persons belonging to the Sikh community on 1.11.1984."
The chargesheet quotes a witness as saying she saw the Congressman getting out of his car and instigating the mob. "She witnessed a mob looting her shop. On her way back, on the main road close to Gurdwara Pul Bangash, she saw a white Ambassador car from which accused Jagdish Tytler came out. He instigated the mob to first kill the Sikhs and then engage in looting," the chargesheet quotes the witness.
CBI's chargesheet also claimed a journalist of a US-based magazine said he and other journalists were present in the office of police commissioner S C Tandon, who was holding a press conference on November 6, 1984. "During this press conference, accused Jagdish Tytler barged into the office of the police chief and began shouting at him demanding that his men who were being held be released. The commissioner hurriedly ended the conference," the chargesheet says.
Quoting another witness account from an affidavit filed before the Justice Nanavati Commission of Inquiry in 2000, CBI said that the witness had stated he noticed a group of men standing near TB Hospital Gate where a car arrived carrying Tytler, who came out and rebuked the people gathered there saying his instructions had not been faithfully carried out.
The chargesheet elaborates, "Accused Jagdish Tytler also said that his position had 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 had taken place in his constituency as compared to east Delhi, outer Delhi, cantonment, etc." It added that Tytler also allegedly said that he had promised large-scale killing of Sikhs and sought full protection, but "you have betrayed me and let me down".
On Saturday, additional chief metropolitan magistrate Vidhi Gupta Anand, who had on July 26 summoned Tytler to appear in person on Saturday in connection with the case, noted that the accused had already been granted anticipatory bail by a sessions court. On Friday, the sessions court had granted Tytler relief on posting a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and one surety of an identical amount.
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