1984 riots: Court asks Tytler if he wants to take lie-detector test

A Delhi court on Tuesday asked Congress leader Jagdish Tytler to clearly answer whether he wants to undergo a lie detector test in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case in which he was earlier given clean chit.

Tytler is accused of leading a mob near Pulbangash in north Delhi that led to the killing of three people on November 1, 1984, a day after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The court also passed a similar order regarding arms dealer Abhishek Verma, a prosecution witness in the case, and said that the Central Bureau of Investigation’s plea for obtaining consent of Tytler and Verma for conducting a lie-detector test on them is maintainable.

Noting a judgment passed by the apex court wherein it was held that no lie-detector test should be administered on any person except on the basis of his consent, additional chief metropolitan magistrate Shivali Sharma directed Tytler and Verma to file an affidavit clearly specifying that they have understood the nature of the test that is sought to be conducted on them and “giving a clean and unambiguous consent/no consent for participating in the polygraph test.”

The court also said that “in case there are any conditions attached to the consent, the non-applicants (Tytler and Verma) are directed to appear in person on the next date of hearing (May 22) for clarification.”

The CBI’s plea was in pursuance to the court’s December 4, 2015, order in which it was mentioned that the lie-detector test may be conducted, if required. Tytler has denied any role in the riots and was given a clean chit by the CBI thrice in the case. But the agency was directed by the court to further investigate the matter.

Earlier Tytler had refused to undergo the test. Verma had given consent with the request that he be provided with police protection.

However, the court noted on Tuesday that sufficient protection has already been provided to Verma as per a threat assessment report submitted by the police. So Verma’s application for providing security to him was disposed off.