In a big jolt to Jagdish Tytler, a Delhi court today ordered reopening of a 1984 anti-Sikhs riots case against him, setting aside a CBI closure report giving clean chit to the Congress leader.
The CBI was directed to examine eye-witnesses and people claiming to have information about the riots.
Additional Sessions Judge Anuradha Shukla Bhardwaj set aside the order of a magisterial court which accepted CBI's closure report giving a clean chit to Tytler.
"The order of the trial court accepting the closure report is set aside. CBI is directed to conduct the investigation and examine the claimants/eye witnesses in the case," the judge directed.
The ASJ's order came on a plea by the riot victims against the CBI giving a clean chit to Tytler and filing a closure report.
During lengthy arguments over the past few months in support of the plea, senior advocate H S Phoolka, appearing for petitioner Lakhwinder Kaur, had submitted that there was material which the agency has ignored and evidence was also there before the trial court against Tytler.
"CBI had time to examine Tytler's driver, who had deposed in his favour, but they had no time to record the statement of the witnesses who had seen Tytler at the spot of incident. Are they (CBI) investigating on the command of Tytler?," he had said.
The CBI had, however, sought dismissal of the plea filed by the victim saying the probe has made it clear that Tytler was not present on November 1, 1984 at Gurudwara Pulbangash in North Delhi where three people were killed during the riots.
