The Central Bureau of Investigation was today directed to conduct further probe in a 1984-anti Sikh riots case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler with a Delhi court saying that statement of arms dealer Abhishek Verma discloses an active role played by him in extending a 'helping hand' to a witness against him.

The court noted that statement given by Verma to the CBI in which he has claimed that Tytler had sent the son of Surinder Singh Granthi, a key witness against him, to Canada cannot be a 'sheer coincidence' and the agency should probe if the facts disclosed by Verma were true.

In its order, the court elaborated on 11-points, including whether Verma had obtained a contract of Rs 50 lakh in 1988 from Air India when Tytler was the civil aviation minister, which were required to be further probed by the CBI.

It also asked the agency to conduct a lie-detection test on Verma, if required.