1984 anti-Sikh riots: AAP leader HS Phoolka demands immediate arrest of Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar

Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Supreme Court lawyer H S Phoolka today demanded immediate arrest of Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar for their alleged role in 1984 riots and said that they are being saved by the political parties for their "vested interests." 

Phoolka said that Tytler was summoned and interrogated by the CBI for four hours in different cases. Sajjan Kumar was also summoned in a case related to allegedly throwing Gurcharan Singh in a burning truck in 1984, he said.

He said the culprits are being saved by political parties for their vested interests.

Phoolka said that although Gurcharan Singh escaped alive in the incident but he was unable to walk and bedridden since 1984 till his death in 2009.

He tried to lodge complaint several times but no case was registered due to the political pressure on police, Phoolka said.

The case in this regard was registered on August 21, 1999, on the directions of court. The SIT had not initiated investigations till then, he said.

The AAP leader said that a case was registered against Tytler for allegedly torching Gurudwara Pulvangas Sahib and killing Gurcharan Singh, Santokh Singh and Badal Singh but it was closed by Congress government in 2007 and 2009 but was reopened after court orders.

The court also directed CBI to file a report of the case in three months but even after a year, CBI has been unable to file any report, he alleged.

"It shows that not only Congress but BJP and SAD are also trying to save both the leaders," he said.

He said that Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi formed SIT to investigate cases of 1984 genocide but the government was suspended after 49 days.

After coming to power in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tried to form the SIT to investigate the case but the Modi government formed it on their own making Delhi government illegible to form it.

He said that since the SIT could not initiate the investigation, the Delhi government should be given the right to form the SIT for further investigation.

Phoolka also accused Akali Dal of using issue of 1984 riots for their political gains but did nothing to provide justice to the victim's families.