New Delhi, Sept 16: The Liberhan Commission probing the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya today asked the Delhi High Court to dismiss former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh's petition against his being summoned by it as a witness. In the written reply filed in the court through counsel Anupam Gupta, Commission Secretary S K Pachauri termed Singh's petition as "totally misconceived and not maintainable". The court is scheduled to hear the petition on September 19. Singh, who has so far refused to appear before the panel as a witness contending it would prejudice his defence in the CBI case on the demolition, has sought to revive his earlier petition which became infractions on April one following conclusion of recording of evidence by the commission. However, citing section 6 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, the commission submitted that the statements made to it by a witness cannot be used against him/her in any civil or criminal proceedings, except a prosecution for giving false evidence by such statement.
The petition having been disposed of on Kalyan Singh's own representation, "no question of its revival/restoration now arises", the commission said.
Singh was summoned by the commission in the wake of his controversial statement that he would "expose" the role of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and several other BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders in the alleged conspiracy to demolish the disputed structure. Following his failure to appear before it, the one-man panel had on September 2 issued bailable warrant against Singh seeking his presence on September 23/24.
Bureau Report