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No Fear No Favour

CBI Criticised by Delhi court for slowing down the questioning of Jagdish Tytler regarding the 1984 riots.

Jagdish Tyler, a former Congress leader had been accused of having involvement in the 1984 Sikh riots. It all started after the former PM Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. After this incident riots started occurring across the country, during which about 2,800 Sikhs were killed across India, including 2,100 in Delhi as written in the official records. Tytler is specifically accused of leading a mob in the 1984 Pul Bangash case in which 3 Sikhs were killed.

In today’s hearing, the Delhi court questioned the Central Bureau Of Investigation ( CBI) over the delay in the recordings of the statements of the witnesses that were found in this case. Almost 22 witnesses were found giving statements against him but none were recorded. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMO) also questioned CBI that why even after a gap of 35 years from that riot the statements of the witnesses were not recorded. The witnesses came to give their statements after much persuasion and efforts and even then also their statements have zero value as they have not been recorded and signed up by the witnesses.

CBI has been given 15 days to file a proper report and has also been recommended to record the statements of Abhishek Verma under Section 164 of the IPC. The CBI raised concern regarding the threat to Verma to which the court said: “I would like to know from the investigating officer that considering that the witness was threatened while he was already under police protection, is it not possible for other witnesses to feel insecure?”

“I stood by the judgment and I believe that there’ll be a relief for the victims of Sikh riots. Even after getting death threats I have agreed to go through lie detector procedure. I believe justice should prevail,” eye witness Abhishek Verma said in a statement.

CBI has already cleared him 3 times in the inquiry. CBI first closed all the cases against him in November  2007 and submitted the report to the Delhi High court. In December 2007, the case was ordered to reopen. In March 2009, CBI filed a final report and gave Tytler a clean chit and did the same thing yet again in 2010.

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