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New Delhi (KP) – The much awaited CBI report on the alleged involvement of Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 Government organized pogroms was submitted to the court this past Wednesday on April 9. Documents submitted by the CBI enlisted the testimonies of five people, and as expected, the testimony of Jasbir Singh was not recorded.
The CNN-IBN channel aired a news story alleging that according to its trusted sources, four of the five witnesses had backtracked and denied the presence of Tytler during the 1984 pogroms. Only Surinder Singh, former Granthi Sevadar at Gurdwara Pul Bangash (Central Delhi), testified on Tytler’s involvement as an instigator of the Delhi mobs.
The fact that several testimonies have been reversed in the case was explained by the news team of CNN-IBN, which brought Surinder Singh’s statements to public light. While talking to CNN-IBN, Surinder Singh held that he was threatened to not testify against Tytler in front of the CBI. What Surinder Singh didn’t realize was that he was being recorded on a hidden camera. After Surinder Singh’s story was released on news channels, several Sikh organizations came to support him. (http://www.panthic.org/news/126/ARTICLE/3794/2008-01-03.html)
Interestingly, the CBI declined to announce the names of the witnesses and refused to make its report public. It alleged that sharing the information with the public could pose threats to the lives of the witnesses. HS Phookla, senior counsel representing the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and November ‘84 Carnage Justice Committee and was also denied a copy of this report, expressed his dissatisfaction at the CBI findings and said he couldn’t comprehend what kind of “life threat” the CBI was referring to.
Jasbir Singh’s testimony has always been crucial in Jagdish Tytler’s case. The Non-Resident Indian currently living in California had agreed to testify on the involvement of Tytler in any U.S. court. He refused to appear in front of the CBI because he feared risk to his life in India. With his testimony refused, the case is being perceived to have gone in favor of Jagdish Tytler. The next court session on this case will be held on April 14 to finally decide if enough evidence exists to open Jagdish Tytler’s case or close it.
In October 2007, the CBI had decided to close the case against Jagdish Tytler for absence of ‘credible’ evidence. Following the ridicule of the case in world media, California based Jasbir Singh approached the Delhi High Court through his son and filed a petition seeking that the CBI record his statement through video conferencing or in any U.S. Court. Ever since, the CBI has refused to communicate with Jasbir Singh unless he opts to appear in front of the CBI personally.
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