Babri trial: I am innocent, allegations baseless, says Kalyan Singh after hearing

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh on Monday recorded his statement before the special CBI court that is hearing the Babri demolition case. He said that the then Central government had falsely dragged his name in the temple demolition case.

Lucknow: Senior BJP leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh on Monday blamed the then Congress government at the Centre for levelling "false and baseless allegations" against him in the Babri mosque demolition case and said he was "innocent".

"The then Congress government at the Centre levelled false and baseless allegations against me and filed a case out of political animosity," he told reporters after appearing before a CBI special court here in connection with the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.

The 88-year-old leader said, "As a UP chief minister, I and my government ensured adequate three-tier security of the disputed structure in Ayodhya.

Singh, during whose tenure the demolition took place, was assisted by two persons as he walked out of the court after over three-hour-long questioning.

"I was falsely implicated, I am innocent," he asserted as he left the court premises.

The CBI court is currently recording statements of 32 accused under the CrPC Section 313, a stage in the trial that follows the examination of accused.

Other alleged accused, including former deputy prime minister L K Advani and senior BJP leaders M M Joshi, are yet to be examined at this stage.

Their lawyers have indicated to the CBI court that they prefer to appear through video conferencing.

Another accused, Ram Chandra Khatri, is presently lodged in a Sonipat jail in Haryana in connection with another case.

The special court had last week reiterated that a reminder should be sent to the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for making arrangements to record his statement through video conferencing.

With regard to another accused Om Prakash Pandey, the CBI had furnished a report saying he was untraceable after his family claimed that he had renounced the world and became a monk and had not come home for years.

His brother Mahendra Pandey had said that he would try to find out the whereabouts of his brother and inform the CBI.

The court had then directed the agency to remain in contact with Mahendra Pandey and furnish a further report.

The court has already issued a non-bailable warrant against Om Prakash Pandey.

The mosque in Ayodhya was demolished in December 1992 by 'kar sevaks' who claimed that an ancient Ram temple had stood on the same site. The CBI court is conducting day-to-day hearings to complete the trial by August 31, as directed by the Supreme Court.

(With inputs from PTI)