1984: Eyewitness Testifies Against Tytler; Kumar Pleads Innocence in More Cases

15
July
2025

On 11 Jul, during the hearing of the 1984 Sikh genocide case at Rouse Avenue Court (RAC), 70-year-old eyewitness Harpal Kaur deposed before special judge Jitendra Singh. Kaur said, ‘When I was standing at a footpath in front of Gurdwara Pul Bangash (on 1 Nov 1984), I saw accused Jagdish Tytler come in a white color Ambassador car from the roundabout and stop in front of Gurudwara Pul Bangash. Tytler and three other persons came out of the car. They asked the mob standing there to kill Sikhs, to loot the Gurdwara as they had killed our mother (former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.)’ Kaur added that she kept mum, fearing for the life of her only son who used to receive threats. She said she has now revealed the name of the Indian National Congress (INC) former Member of Parliament only after her son passed away in 2015. Noting the eyewitness appeared exhausted after the lengthy proceedings, the judge deferred the cross-examination to 12 Jul. The Central Bureau of Investigation had investigated the deaths of Thakur Singh, Badal Singh, and Gurcharan Singh and filed a chargesheet in May 2023. The agency has accused Tytler of instigating the mob, which resulted in the framing of charges of murder and other offences in September 2024. On 12 Jul, Advocate Harvinder Singh said, 'Kaur recognized Tytler because her husband Amarjit Singh Bedi was also a Congress (INC) leader and Tytler used to come to their shop.' Meanwhile, on 7 Jul, former INC MP Sajjan Kumar pleaded innocence in the alleged killings of two Sikhs, Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh in Delhi’s Janakpuri, and in another incident in Vikaspuri where Gurcharan Singh was set ablaze. Deposing before Special RAC Judge Digvijay Singh, Kumar stated he was being falsely implicated. On 25 Feb, RAC had convicted and awarded Kumar a double life sentence for the murders of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh. Kumar is already serving a life sentence in Tihar Jail for the killing of five Sikhs at Raj Nagar (earlier coverage).

Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar Photo by India TV News

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