Congress leader Jagdish Tytler has denied the charges framed against him in connection with the 1984 Pul Bangash Sikh killings case and has opted for a trial. The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi has scheduled the trial and evidence recording for October 3.
The case involves the killing of three Sikhs near Gurudwara Pul Bangash on November 1, 1984. The court had formally charged Tytler on August 30. He faces accusations of murder and inciting violence during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which resulted in the deaths of over 6,000 Sikhs. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged in its charge sheet, filed in May 2023, that Tytler, a former Union minister, “incited, instigated, and provoked the mob” near the Pul Bangash gurdwara on the fateful day.
In August 2023, Tytler was granted anticipatory bail, which led to protests by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) outside the court.
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots were triggered by the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, on October 31, 1984. This followed Operation Blue Star, a military operation ordered by Gandhi to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
In August 2024, the Rouse Avenue Court directed the CBI to frame charges against Tytler, noting there was enough evidence to proceed. The trial will cover various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sections related to unlawful assembly, incitement to violence, and murder.
