E-Paper
HC dismisses Kalyan's plea over Ayodhya panel
The Delhi High Court has dismissed former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh's plea against his summoning as a witness by the Liberhan Commission.
The Delhi High Court has dismissed former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh's plea against his summoning as a witness by the Liberhan Commission probing the demolition of disputed structure at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
The dismissal order came from Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul after neither the petitioner nor his counsel turned up despite repeated calls from the court.
Commission Counsel Anupan Gupta showed to the court a copy of the statement given by Kalyan Singh's counsel BB Saxena to the panel on June 29 which made it clear that there was no criminal case pending against the senior BJP leader in connection with the December 6 incident.
Gupta pointed out that the very basis of the petition has vanished as there was no criminal case pending against Singh.
Centre's counsel Kailash Gambhir supported Gupta's plea.
"It is presumably for this reason that nobody has appeared on behalf of the petitioner", Justice Kaul observed dismissing the petition.
Kalyan Singh has so far refused to depose before Liberhan Commission as a witness claiming it would adversely affect his defence in the criminal case relating to the demolition.
Reacting to the dismissal of Kalyan Singh's petition, Anupam Gupta said that the Commission was legally free to summon him as a witness as there was no stay in the matter.
Singh had moved the High Court against the summons issued by the Commission in 2000 but his petition was dismissed as "infructuous" in April last year after the panel concluded recording of evidence. His plea was revived on November 21 last after the commission issued fresh summons to him.
