Jagdish Tytler’s plea to charges in 1984 riots case postponed until November

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday postponed until November a petition filed by Congress leader Jagdish Tytler challenging the wording of charges against him in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

The plea challenges the decision of Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court to frame charges of murder and other offenses in the 1984 case.

In August, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court ordered the framing of charges against Jagdish Tytler in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, linked to the killings of Sikhs in Delhi’s Pul Bangash area.

The court, in issuing its order, said there were sufficient grounds to prosecute Tytler on several counts, including murder, rioting and aiding and abetting.

On Tuesday, Tytler’s lawyer submitted the order and witness statements in the case to the High Court.

According to the press agency PTITytler, in his plea, claimed he was the victim of a “witch hunt” and argued that the trial court’s order addressing the charges against him was perverse, illegal and lacking in spirit .

“Through the impugned order, the trial court erroneously framed charges against the petitioner, neglecting established principles of law regarding the point of charge,” he said in the motion.

Following this, the court pointed out that some statements were not recorded.

The Delhi High Court then re-notified the case on November 29, for witness statements to be recorded.

Regarding the proceedings before the trial court, the High Court said that the petitioner could inform the trial court that a hearing before the High Court was underway.

However, the High Court did not stop the trial proceedings.

Anti-Sikh riots broke out in several parts of the country following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

Jagdish Tytler was granted anticipatory bail in the case by a sessions court in August last year.