Punjab: Court records witness statement against Tytler

Punjab: A Delhi court on Thursday recorded the statement of a prosecution witness in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler. Special Judge Jitendra Singh heard the testimony of forensic expert S Ingersal and fixed his cross-examination for March 7. The court had exempted Tytler from appearing in person on that day as he was on a visit. The case is related to the killing of three people at Gurdwara Pul Bangash in Delhi during the 1984 riots. The court had earlier recorded the statement of Lakhwinder Kaur, the widow of Badal Singh who was killed in the violence.

A key witness in the case had earlier testified that Tytler was seen coming out of a white car in front of the gurdwara on November 1, 1984 and inciting the mob. “He came out of the car, raised slogans and incited the mob against the Sikh community,” the witness told the court. The court had framed charges against the senior Congress leader under sections 147 (rioting), 109 (incitement) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on September 13, 2023. Tytler was granted anticipatory bail in 2023 on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and a surety of the same amount. The court had imposed conditions on him prohibiting him from tampering with evidence or leaving the country without permission.