The
ghost of 1984 anti-Sikh riots today returned to haunt Jagdish
Tytler with a US-based eyewitness filing an affidavit in a
Delhi court to state how he saw and heard the Congress leader
instigate an attack on the minority on November 1, 1984.
"In
October-November 1984, I lived in Delhi and drove a taxi for a
living. On November 1, I was on my way home when while passing
by Gurdwara Phulbangsh, I saw smoke coming out of the building
and outside a mob led by Congress leader Jagdish Tytler was
chanting slogans, "Khoon ka Badla Khoon". When I got closer, I
saw and heard Tytler instigating and screaming at the mob and
pointing towards the gurdwara, ordering them to go and get the
Sikhs from hiding," eyewitness Resham Singh from California
said in his sworn statement today before the court of
Karkardooma Additional Sessions Judge K.S. Pal.
Singh sought the
court to direct the CBI to record his statement in the matter
even as the CBI opposed the application and said they would
not file a reply to the same and would go in for arguments
straightaway. The Court has fixed February 16 for final
arguments on whether the statement of Resham Singh should be
recorded by the CBI. The affidavit challenges the CBI's stand
in the sensitive matter wherein the agency had earlier filed
closure report against Tytler saying no eyewitnesses were
available against him.
Additional Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate hearing the matter had accepted the
CBI's closure report, prompting petitioner in the case
Lakhwinder Kaur to file revision petition before the
Additional Sessions Judge.
Resham Singh's
affidavit states that in December 2008 when the CBI team came
to the US to record statements of witnesses in the case
against Tytler, he repeatedly approached the agency,
requesting them for his statement to be recorded but to no
avail. At that time the CBI recorded only one eyewitness
statement - that of one Surinder Singh - who has since died
during pendency of the case.
"With my written
statement and affirmation, my US based attorney Gurpatwant
Pannun contacted the CBI team visiting the US for recording my
testimony. The CBI team assured my attorney that they will
record by statement on December 25 and 26 and even though I
made myself available, the agency failed to record my
testimony," Resham Singh said in his affidavit.