Prime witness in 1984 riots Jasbeer Hingh will depose to court

The CBI has finally managed to speak to a prime witness in the 1984 riots case, Jasbeer Singh. There's a chance now that Singh will depose in the case as a witness.

''The court has asked the CBI to reply by December 18 if Jasbeer can depose via video conferencing,'' says lawyer for riot victims, H S Phulka. If the CBI does not seek reinvestigation even on December 18 it will be up to the court to order a reinvestigation on its own.

The victims had continued their protests outside the Karkardooma court complex. They allege the CBI is not serious about getting Jasbeer's testimony since it has not asked the court's permission to reinvestigate the case after filing the closure report three months back.

Singh has been traced to California and has already said he was ready to depose in a case relating to an incident on November 1, 1984 - when a mob had set afire Gurdwara Pulbangash, killing three people.

Earlier the court hearing the 1984 riots case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler was told by the CBI that it could not trace Jasbeer Singh.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjeev Jain had given the address of the witness to the CBI, which had filed an affidavit exonerating Jagdish Tytler in the case for lack of evidence and witness.

The Nanavati Commission, constituted to look into the riots, had claimed evidence against Congress leaders Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and H K L Bhagat for instigating the mobs to violence.

Last month, the CBI claimed that they had no evidence and no witnesses either to substantiate the charges against Tytler.

But senior counsel H S Phulka, representing Sikh organisations, furnished Jasbir Singh's address and said he had expressed a desire to come forward and record his testimony in the case.

Courtesy:ndtv.com
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