Key witness in '84 Sikh Genocide died

A key witness in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots involving former Union minister Sajjan Kumar died on Monday without getting justice. Gurcharan Singh, who was bed ridden for the past 25 years, took his last breath at his residence in Mohali.

Karnail Singh Peer Mohammed, President of All India Sikh Students Federation said Punjab government failed to give any justice to Gurcharan, who was attacked by a mob allegedly led by Sajjan Kumar hurled him in a burning vehicle in Uttam Nagar colony during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.

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Mohammed said the victim struggled to get compensation of Rs.2 lakh but his entire attempt went in vain. CBI recorded his statement in April 2008.

The Sikhs massacre in 1984 triggered following the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31 by two of her Sikh bodyguards. Sultanpuri, Mangolpuri, Trilokpuri, and other Trans-Yamuna areas of Delhi were badly affected.

After constituting nine commissions of enquiry, the tenth was formed Nanavati Commission headed by retired Justice of Supreme Court. The Commission submitted its report in Feb 2004, claiming evidence Congressmen Jagtish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and H K L Bhagat for instigating mobs to violence.

Out of the three, Bhagat could not be prosecuted owing to his ill-health and died in October 2005. Sajjan Kumar was given acquittal in want of evidence by a lower court, Delhi and the Congress government decided not to prosecute him due to lack of concrete evidence.

Jagtish Tytler too was given clean chit by CBI and the case against him was dismissed, though the same court later ordered CBI to reopen case after two eyewitnesses Jasbir Singh and Surinder Singh, residing in New York, claimed their statements were not recorded by CBI. The two witnesses said they saw Jagdish Tytler lead a mob during the riots, but did not want to come to India as they feared for their security.

On January 22, CBI informed a city court that it had examined seven witnesses, including US-based Jasbir Singh and will complete investigation within next 30 days.