Anti-Sikh riots: Court directs police to continue providing security to witness

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday directed the city police to continue providing security to arms dealer Abhishek Verma, a witness in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, for a month and to also reassess the threat perception to him as well as senior advocate H.S. Phoolka.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjyot Singh Bhalla issued the directions to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) while hearing a case against former Congress leader Jagdish Tytler. It pertains to the alleged killing of three Sikhs at Delhi's Gurdwara Pulbangash in 1984, a day after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

In an application, Verma, a witness in the case, told the court that the security cover provided to him was suddenly withdrawn by the police "without any prior notice or without re-evaluating the threat perception". Advocate Phoolka is representing the complainant in the case.

He sought a direction for reinstatement of round-the-clock police security cover and re-evaluation of threat perception to him and his family members.

The application further stated that he is constantly receiving death threats via calls and e-mails to pressurise him not to depose against Tytler. He said that sudden withdrawal of security has left his family members extremely "disturbed and distressed due to the fear".