There's no evidence against me: Tytler

Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, facing re-investigation in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, said yesterday there was nothing against him as yet to prove that he was present at the scene. He said that a witness was put under pressure to give a statement against him.

"Witness Surinder Singh changed his statements five times and his son called from the US to say that his father was under pressure to give a statement against me," Tytler said, a day after a Delhi court ordered the reopening of the riots case against him.

File Pic

"My name comes back on the basis of the statement made by Surinder Singh and Jasbir Singh. Surinder Singh first gave a statement in English and then gave a written statement in Gurumukhi. I want to know that why Phoolka (senior advocate HS Phoolka representing riot victims) forced Surinder Singh to write a statement," he said.

"Do you know Jasbir Singh is an absconder? He is wanted by the court of law. Do you know the CBI tracked down that he was not even in Delhi, he was in Jodhpur?" he said. Tytler is accused of instigating a mob that led to the murder of three men who had taken shelter at a Delhi gurdwara on November 1, 1984.

The mob attack was part of violence against Sikhs after the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. On the court order to reopen the case, Tytler said, "I have no objection. But where were the witnesses when the case was registered in 1984?"

"His father says Surinder Singh is lying. I will show you the affidavit given to CBI. His brother says he is telling lies, I was with him. The gurdwara secretary says he was telling lies. In the end, he wrote to the PM, saying ‘I'm sorry I told lies'," he said.

The Congress leader said he was ready for 100 per cent scrutiny in the matter and won't take any responsible position in the government till his name was cleared in the matter.

Asked if he was being framed as part of a political conspiracy, Tytler said, "I think it is just that they wanted to take advantage of the situation and make money out of it. I think Phoolka may be getting enough money from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
u00a0