1984 anti-Sikh riots: Tytler refuses to undergo lie detector test

New Delhi: Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on Friday refused to appear before Delhi's Karkardooma Court and undergo a lie detector test in connection with the 1984 Sikh killings case.

Also, arms dealer Abhishek Verma has submitted papers in which he has stated that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) hasn't specified why they want a lie detector test to be conducted.

In response to Verma's plea, the Court observed that CBI cannot disclose their line of investigation and asked Verma to submit a copy of his reply to the investigative agency.

Senior advocate H S Phoolka, who represented the riot victims said, "Safety of witnesses is necessary, they ought to be provided security. Jagdish Tytler had himself demanded that lie detector test be conducted on him."

The Court has asked the CBI to file its report till March 9 instead of February 16, which was the date fixed earlier.

The next hearing on the case is scheduled to be held on February 23.

Earlier on Thursday, the CBI had sought the court's permission for lie-detector tests on Tytler and arms dealer Abhishek Verma.

The agency moved a written application in the Karkardooma court on Wednesday on the issue, after the arms dealer's accusation against the Congress politician of influencing a witness Surender Singh by giving him money and promising to send his son Narender Singh to Canada.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Shivali Sharma has issued notice to Tytler and Verma, asking them to appear before it on February 10.

The CBI in its plea requested the court to direct Tytler and Verma to appear before it and accord their consent for conducting polygraph test so that the further investigation in the matter can be conducted.

Tytler is accused of leading a mob in the 1984 Pul Bangash case in which three Sikhs were killed.

The CBI had earlier given a clean chit to Tytler in the case but reopened investigation following December 4, 2015 court order in the wake of Verma's allegation.

The court also ordered the agency to find out whether Verma's statement was authentic.

The agency, in September 2016, had also filed its investigation report in the case which will be heard in the court on Friday where Tytler and Verma are likely to appear.