The Delhi High Court on Tuesday deferred till November a petition filed by Congress leader Jagdish Tytler challenging the charges against him in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
The plea challenges a decision by the Drillos Avenue Court to bring murder and other criminal charges in the 1984 case.
In August, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court ordered charges against Jagdish Tytler in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case involving the killing of Sikhs in Delhi’s Pul Bangash area.
In announcing its order, the court said there were sufficient grounds to charge Tytler with multiple charges, including murder, rioting and solicitation.
Tytler’s lawyers submitted orders and witness statements in the case to the high court on Tuesday.
According to news agency reports PTIIn his plea, Tytler claimed to be the victim of a “witch hunt” and argued that the trial court’s order charging him was unjustified, illegal and ill-conceived.
“By passing this impugned order, the trial court has wrongly framed the charge sheet against the petitioner, ignoring the settled principles of law regarding the charge sheet,” he said in the petition.
The court then noted that some of the statements were not on record.
The Delhi High Court subsequently re-notified the case on November 29 to record the witness statements.
Regarding the proceedings before the trial court, the High Court said the petitioner may inform the trial court that the hearing before the High Court is ongoing.
However, the High Court did not stay the proceedings before the trial court.
After then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984, anti-Sikh riots broke out in many parts of the country.
In August last year, the Sessions Court granted bail to Jagdish Tytler.