I've been framed due to political reasons: Ex-Faizabad DM to masjid demolition trial court

Former Faizabad District Magistrate R N Srivastava on Friday told a special CBI court holding trial in the 1992 Babri masjid demolition case that he has been falsely implicated in the case due to political vendetta. Srivastava was the district magistrate of erstwhile Faizabad, now Ayodhya, when the disputed structure was pulled down by a group of agitated ‘kar sevaks’ on December 6, 1992.

Deposing before the court of Special Judge S K Yadav, Srivastava asserted that he was innocent and implicated in the case due to political vendetta. Seeking to refute the prosecution evidence against him, Srivastava said the evidence led by prosecution agency CBI was fabricated and the witnesses acted against him and other accused under political pressure.

Srivastava appeared before the court as the 20th accused in the case and deposed under the provisions of section 313 of the CrPC, a stage which follows the recording of prosecution evidence. Under the provisions of section 313, an accused is given a chance to refute and explain away the prosecution evidence adduced against him. Srivastava appeared in the court with his counsel I B Singh and Abhisekh Ranjan to make the deposition. His deposition, however, could not be completed and ASJ Yadav asked him to appear again on Saturday to complete his deposition.

The court is yet to record statements of 12 accused including former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and BJP leader Murli Manhoar Joshi. CBI lawyers Lalit Kumar Singh, P Chakravarti and R K Yadav were present in the court during the proceeding.