CBI clears Tytler in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case

Congress leader and former union minister Jagdish Tytler was on Thursday given a clean chit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a case registered against him for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.
De-sealing its final report in the case in a court in the Capital, the CBI pleaded that the case against Tytler be cancelled.
The CBI is also hoping to quash the FIR in the 1984 riots case.
Counsel for the 1984 riots' accused H S Phoolka said, "The CBI has given the benefit to Tytler as he is contesting polls this time. There might be serious flaws in their report therefore the CBI does not want the report to be shown."
In an affidavit filed before the Karkardooma court in New Delhi last year, the CBI said: "We don't have any evidence or witness to file a case against Jagdish Tytler."
This echoed the Government's stand that Tytler cannot be prosecuted due to insufficient concrete evidence.
The Nanavati Commission - probing the case - had stated that there was 'credible evidence' against Tytler, and that he 'very probably' was one of those responsible for orchestrating the attacks. Tytler had responded that the evidence in question was unreliable because it was a matter of mistaken identity.
Speaking to CNN-IBN on Thursday, Jagdish Tytler said that he had been suffering for so long for no fault of his.
"I have suffered enough now. I just want to be left alone. Let those who oppose me say whatever they want. I will continue to serve the people of the country," he stated.
"The truth has now finally come out aided by the CBI," he added.
The BJP has lashed out at the CBI saying that it is not the Central Bureau of Investigation but the Congress Bureau of Investigation.
"To give a clean chit to a man who is in serious trouble shows the political convenience of the Congress. The Congress is bent upon destroying all institutions in India and is now trying to influence the judiciary," said BJP Spokesperson, Prakash Javadekar.
Reacting to the claim, Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natrajan has said that the Congress does not interfere in the working of the CBI as it is an autonomous body. "This claim is baseless, Congress does not interfere in the working of the CBI," she said.
Meanwhile, father of 1984 riots eyewitness Jasbeer Singh says that the CBI verdict is not a defeat for them. "We haven't lost. The verdict of the CBI isn't a defeat for us," he said.
Jasbir Singh's counsel, Sharath Kapoor reacted strongly against CBI's decision.
"This is certainly a very big shock to us, we have in fact been denied opportunity to inspect the report today. It's going to be decided on the April 9 whether who is going to be the complainant and who is going to inspect. Despite very categorical evidence, the agency on which are citizens have complete faith has demolished that aspect," he said.