Witness was coerced: Tytler

New Delhi (IBNS): A day after a Delhi court ordered reopening of a case against Jagdish Tytler in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the former Congress MP on Thursday said a witness was forced to give a statement against him. "My name comes back on the basis of the statement made by Surinder Singh and Jasbir Singh. Surinder Singh first gave a statement in English and then gave a written statement in Gurumukhi. I want to know that why Phoolka (lawyer HS Phoolka) forced Surinder Singh to write a statement," Tytler told CNN-IBN. "According to Surinder Singh son's affidavit and Surinder Singh himself, HS Phoolka used them," the former Congress MP said. Speaking on the second witness Jasbir Singh, Tytler said: "Jasbir Singh is an absconder as per the court of law. The investigating agencies found out that Jasbir Singh was in Jodhpur during the time of the incident." Tytler said he was not present at the spot of the riots. "I happened to be with Indira Gandhi's body, how come I would be at two places at the same time?" Tytler told the news channel. Tytler said he arranged camps and stayed with the Sikhs during the riots. "I'm the only person who arranged camps for the Sikhs and stayed with them. In my constituency I got people to stay in my house during the incident," he said. A Delhi court on Wednesday ordered reopening of a case against Tytler and set aside a closure report of the CBI.