New Delhi, Aug 29 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed its reply before a Delhi court on the application of Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, who is accused in the Pul Bangash killings during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, seeking court records from the year 1984 till 2023.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM), Vidhi Gupta Anand of Rouse Avenue Court noted that counsel for CBI has supplied a copy of reply with copies of certain documents to Tytler's counsel.
Tytler's counsel sought some time for advancing submissions stating that some time is required to go through the reply as well as the documents.
Anand then adjourned the matter and put it up for arguments on the application for September 6.
The ACMM had, on August 11, given 10 days to Tytler to review documents provided by the CBI, including the charge sheet. Later on August 21, Anand adjourned the matter after the probe agency sought time to advance arguments on Tytler's application seeking certain documents.
"PP (Public Prosecutor) for CBI seeks some time to file reply to the aforesaid application. Be filed by the next date of hearing with advance copy to Counsel for the accused. Matter be now put up for reply, if any/arguments on the application/further proceedings on August 29," the judge had said.
The court had approved the request of Tytler's counsel, who initially asked for two weeks to go through the materials. Tytler had, on August 10, filed a request with the court to be allowed to attend proceedings through video conferencing. The plea was presented in court on the grounds of security concerns. Tytler's advocate has appealed for the court's authorisation for his client to participate remotely, citing a recent protest by the Sikh community during Tytler's in-person appearance on August 5.
On August 5, the court accepted a bail bond by Tytler. The development came a day after Special Judge Vikas Dhull had granted anticipatory bail to Tytler.
Tytler's wife, Jennifer, stood security for him in the case, and the court verified her identity and financial status. After noting that she was financially independent, the court had accepted her as a surety.
Tytler was brought to court amid high security. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) members had staged a protest outside Rouse Avenue Court, raising slogans while holding placards and posters which read "Jise honi thi jail use kyu mili bail?
A minor clash was also reported between the protestors and police.
The case pertains to when the Gurdwara Pul Bangash at Azad Market was set on fire by a mob on November 1, 1984 and three persons, namely Sardar Thakur Singh, Badal Singh, and Gurcharan Singh, were burnt to death. The incident took place a day after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards.
In its charge sheet filed before the court, the CBI has said that Tytler incited, instigated, and provoked the mob that had assembled at the gurdwara, which resulted in the burning down of the shrine and killing of the three persons. Charges under Sections 147 (rioting), 109 (abetment) read with 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), among others, have been invoked against Tytler by the probe agency.
On June 2, the Rouse Avenue Courts had approved a supplementary charge sheet filed by the CBI against Tytler in the riots case and also transferred the case to the special MP-MLA court for trial. It had earlier also instructed the CBI to expedite the process of obtaining the forensic report of Tytler's voice sample.
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