Forty years after the bloody anti-Sikh riots, Delhi court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to frame charges against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the case that resulted in death of three persons in the 1984 massacre.
Special CBI judge Rakesh Siyal said there was sufficient evidence against Tytler, a former union minister, to put him on trial.
“Sufficient ground is there to proceed against the accused person,” the judge said.
The charges against Tytler and others have been filed under sections 147 (rioting), 109 (abetment of an offence) read with 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Quick recap to 1984 violence & Tytler’s role in the carnage
Operation Blue Star was a significant event in the history of India that took place in June 1984. It refers to the military operation ordered by the Indian government to remove Sikh militants, headed by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who had fortified themselves inside the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab.
The operation and the subsequent events caused a deep sense of mistrust and alienation among the Sikh community towards the Indira government. The Indian National Congress, which was seen as responsible for the military operation, faced significant backlash from Sikhs, which impacted the party’s political fortunes in Punjab and other regions with a significant Sikh population.
Indira’s assassination
The fallout from Operation Blue Star resulted in a tragic event that altered the course of Indian history. PM Indira Gandhi was on her way to meet British actor Peter Ustinov for a documentary. Ustinov was going to interview her. As she walked through the garden of PM residence at 1 Safdarjung Road, her trusted bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh opened fired on Indira and she fell on the ground.
She was rushed to the hospital and died hours later. Beant Singh was shot dead another guard Satwant Singh and conspirator Kehr Singh was sentenced to death.
Who is Jagdish Tytler
Indira’s assassination triggered anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and other parts of the country, leading to widespread violence, loss of life, and damage to Sikh properties.
During the riots, one of the names that cropped up was of Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, who was accused of leading a mob that killed three people in the Pul Bangash area in the capital.
Jagdish Tytler, born on August 17, 1944, in Gujranwala, a city now located in Pakistan, is the son of James Douglas Tytler, who established several renowned educational institutions, including the Delhi Public School, the Summerfields School and the JD Tytler Higher Secondary School.
Throughout his career, Tytler has represented India on various international platforms. He served as a one-man delegation to the United Nations Conference on alternative energy sources held in Yugoslavia and led the Indian delegation to the United Nations on multiple occasions.
Tytler’s political career began under the leadership of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985, during whose tenure he held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Civil Aviation, Minister for Surface Transport, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Labour, and Minister for Food Processing.
He also served as the Minister for Coal during the government led by PV Narasimha Rao.
As an MP, Tytler represented the Delhi Sadar Parliamentary Constituency from 1980 to 1989 and again from 1991 to 1995.
He also held the position of Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs (Independent Charge) and chaired the Committee for Environment and Science & Technology within the All India Congress Committee.
Background of the case:
On June 2, 2023, a Delhi court approved a supplementary chargesheet filed by CBI against Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
In April 2023, Tytler had appeared before the CBI and given samples of his voice in connection with the case for the Central Forensic Science Laboratory to examine.
In May 2023, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Tytler in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, alleging that he instigated the mob to attack a gurdwara in Delhi in which three Sikhs were burnt alive.
Special CBI judge Rakesh Siyal said there was sufficient evidence against Tytler, a former union minister, to put him on trial.
“Sufficient ground is there to proceed against the accused person,” the judge said.
The charges against Tytler and others have been filed under sections 147 (rioting), 109 (abetment of an offence) read with 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Quick recap to 1984 violence & Tytler’s role in the carnage
Operation Blue Star was a significant event in the history of India that took place in June 1984. It refers to the military operation ordered by the Indian government to remove Sikh militants, headed by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who had fortified themselves inside the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab.
The operation and the subsequent events caused a deep sense of mistrust and alienation among the Sikh community towards the Indira government. The Indian National Congress, which was seen as responsible for the military operation, faced significant backlash from Sikhs, which impacted the party’s political fortunes in Punjab and other regions with a significant Sikh population.
Indira’s assassination
The fallout from Operation Blue Star resulted in a tragic event that altered the course of Indian history. PM Indira Gandhi was on her way to meet British actor Peter Ustinov for a documentary. Ustinov was going to interview her. As she walked through the garden of PM residence at 1 Safdarjung Road, her trusted bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh opened fired on Indira and she fell on the ground.
She was rushed to the hospital and died hours later. Beant Singh was shot dead another guard Satwant Singh and conspirator Kehr Singh was sentenced to death.
Who is Jagdish Tytler
Indira’s assassination triggered anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and other parts of the country, leading to widespread violence, loss of life, and damage to Sikh properties.
During the riots, one of the names that cropped up was of Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, who was accused of leading a mob that killed three people in the Pul Bangash area in the capital.
Jagdish Tytler, born on August 17, 1944, in Gujranwala, a city now located in Pakistan, is the son of James Douglas Tytler, who established several renowned educational institutions, including the Delhi Public School, the Summerfields School and the JD Tytler Higher Secondary School.
Throughout his career, Tytler has represented India on various international platforms. He served as a one-man delegation to the United Nations Conference on alternative energy sources held in Yugoslavia and led the Indian delegation to the United Nations on multiple occasions.
Tytler’s political career began under the leadership of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985, during whose tenure he held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Civil Aviation, Minister for Surface Transport, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Labour, and Minister for Food Processing.
He also served as the Minister for Coal during the government led by PV Narasimha Rao.
As an MP, Tytler represented the Delhi Sadar Parliamentary Constituency from 1980 to 1989 and again from 1991 to 1995.
He also held the position of Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs (Independent Charge) and chaired the Committee for Environment and Science & Technology within the All India Congress Committee.
Background of the case:
On June 2, 2023, a Delhi court approved a supplementary chargesheet filed by CBI against Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
In April 2023, Tytler had appeared before the CBI and given samples of his voice in connection with the case for the Central Forensic Science Laboratory to examine.
In May 2023, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Tytler in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, alleging that he instigated the mob to attack a gurdwara in Delhi in which three Sikhs were burnt alive.