According to the chargesheet submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), an eyewitness has provided a detailed account, alleging that the Congress leader instigated the mob to engage in acts of violence, which included the killing of Sikhs and looting of their shops.
As per the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, eyewitness accounts allege that Congress leader Jagdish Tytler incited the mob to commit violence against Sikhs near Gurudwara Pul Bangash in Delhi.
The chargesheet states that Jagdish Tytler, upon emerging from a white ambassador car that stopped in front of the Gurudwara, was heard shouting, “Kill the Sikhs… they have killed our mother.” On November 1, 1984, a day after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, three individuals lost their lives, and a gurdwara in the Pul Bangash area of New Delhi was set on fire. In connection with these events, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet against Jagdish Tytler on May 20, 2024, booking him on charges of murder, rioting, and abetment.
About 1984 anti-Sikh riots & tytler involvement
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots, also known as the 1984 Sikh massacre, were a series of organized pogroms that took place in India, primarily in Delhi, following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. The assassination was carried out by her Sikh bodyguards in response to Operation Blue Star, a military operation ordered by the Indian government to remove militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab.
In the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination, there was widespread communal violence targeting the Sikh community. Mobs, allegedly supported by some political leaders, went on a rampage, attacking Sikh neighborhoods, homes, businesses, and places of worship. Many innocent Sikhs were brutally killed, women were raped, and properties were looted and destroyed. According to government estimates, approximately 2,800 Sikhs lost their lives in Delhi, and the nationwide death toll stands at around 3,350. However, independent sources suggest a higher number of fatalities, ranging from 8,000 to 17,000.
Eyewitness account
NDTV reported that the CBI chargesheet contained a detailed account from an eyewitness.
The charge sheet stated, “The witness observed a mob looting her shop but decided to return home as quickly as possible. While on her way back, near the Gurdwara Pul Bangash on the Main Road, she saw accused Jagdish Tytler emerging from a white Ambassador car. The chargesheet alleges that Tytler incited the mob to first target Sikhs and then engage in looting.”
“After witnessing this, she hurried back to her house and sought refuge in her neighbor’s home. There, she witnessed the bodies of Shri Badel Singh and Shri Gorcharan Singh (an employee of her husband who had stayed at their house on the night of October 31, 1984) being thrown from the roof of the neighbor’s house. The bodies were then placed on a wooden cart along with tires and subsequently set on fire. The witness also saw the mob setting fire to the Gurudwara Pul Bangash,” the chargesheet further disclosed.
