Will CBI now charge Tytler?

The two-member CBI team which visited New York and San Francisco from December 22 to December 26 finally recorded the statements of key witnesses Jasbir Singh and Giani Surinder Singh regarding Jagdish Tytler’s role in organising massacre of Sikhs in November 1984.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor Sikhs For Justice, a US based human rights group who is advocating the cases of 84 Sikh Genocide with the help of All India Sikh Students Federation, stated that this has strengthened their hope to get justice to the victims of November 84 Sikh Genocide under the Constitution of India.

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Now this is testing time for the CBI, as to how long they will take to formally charge Member Parliament Jagdish Tytler for orchestrating the massacre of Sikhs in November 1984. The CBI maintained their stand for the longest that no witnesses are available to testify regarding Jagdish Tytler’s role in massacre of Sikhs, and the witnesses who gave affidavits before Nanavati Commission namely Jasbir Singh cannot be traced and the other witness Surinder Singh have retracted his earlier statement. Based on this CBI filed a closure report on September 29, 2007 regarding Jagdish Tytler’s role in massacre of Sikhs.

In three days following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi Sikhs were burnt alive, women were raped, children were killed and Sikh households and religious places were burnt and destroyed throughout India. In the State of Bihar hundreds of Sikhs were killed by throwing them alive into hot furnaces at the Bokaro steel plant.

The massacre was organised by the sitting members of the Indian Parliament and senior members of the ruling party at the Center with active support and participation of police and other law enforcement agencies. The Prime Minister of the India Rajiv Gandhi instead of condemning and preventing the events justified the massacre declaring that “when a big tree falls, earth shakes”.

Attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun stated that as of now two Commissions and multiple Committees have inquired the massacre of Sikhs in November 1984 in Delhi only, But the well planned massacre of Sikhs happened in fourteen states throughout India, As of now not even a single inquiry have been setup to inquire into the massacre of Sikhs nationwide. Attorney Pannun stated that the justice has eluded victims for twenty four years, and the Justice delayed is Justice denied. A panel of lawyers will be announced who will file Writ petitions in all the fourteen state high courts where Sikhs were massacred to order a CBI inquiry.

Karnail Singh Peermohammad, President All India Sikh Students Federation announced that starting January 1, 2009, All India Sikh Student Federation in association with Sikhs for Justice would organise a “Justice Awareness Campaign” in order to reach out to witnesses and victims in 14 states where Sikhs were massacred in November 1984.

Sikhs For Justice, a New York based human rights group is fighting the legal battle in association with All India Sikh Students Organisation, President Karnail Singh Peermohammad to get justice to the victims of November 1984.