The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) admitted in Karkardooma court on Tuesday, that it was finally able to locate a witness in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, which it had alleged was "untraceable" barely a month ago, and managed to converse with him.
The reply came on the heels of a DNA report where the writers spoke to Narinder Singh Khaira, a person of interest in an ongoing investigation against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler who was given a clean chit for his alleged role during 1984 anti Sikh riots.
However, according to the CBI, Khaira had declined to join the investigation. "Khaira told us that he is no longer an Indian citizen and that he would not come to India to join any probe," the counsel for CBI stated. Whereas, Khaira, in a telephonic conversation with this writer, had admitted that even though he would not return to India for fear of his life, he was more than happy to join the investigation and answer any queries the CBI may have.
A toddler at the time of the riots, Khaira, is the son of the late Surinder Singh, who was a granthi at the Gurudwara Pul Bangash in Delhi. Singh was a witness to three murders in the area on November 1, 1984. Based on his statement, the Nanavati Commission recommended the registration of a case against Tytler for murder and for influencing witnesses.
The CBI's closure report, filed in Additional Chief Metropolitan Court (ACMM) Shivali Sharma's court, was dismissed and the CBI was directed to re-investigate certain allegations. In a December 2015 order, the ACMM had directed the CBI to probe statements made by arms dealer Abhishek Verma who claimed that Tytler was influencing witnesses in the case.
Appearing for the victims, HS Phoolka said that the CBI was misleading the court and that the witnesses were happy to help with the investigation. "If the CBI initiates communication then we are happy to facilitate the matter from our end with the Canadian authorities," Phoolka told the court.
MM Sharma, who on earlier occasions had come down heavily on the CBI for the delay in the investigation, on Tuesday, granted them an additional four months to do the needful. "There are at least 11 points that still need to be investigated, which will take another four to six months," the investigating officer associated with the case has claimed.
