Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) A Delhi court has rejected a plea to recall expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh as witness in connection with his extortion complaint against a man in 2007.

The petition was filed by Barun Kumar Verma against whom the politician lodged the complaint alleging that he tried to extort Rs.5 crore from him.

“When Singh was examined, he has under the indirect influence of Mulayam Singh, chief of Samajwadi Party, but due to the change in scenario (Amar Singh’s exit from the party), the witness can give truthful answers if permitted to be recalled for cross examination,” said the petitioner.

The alleged extortion bid by Verma was in connection with the hearing of a Supreme Court case involving Mulayam Singh.

Verma approached Additional Session Judge (ASJ) Kaveri Baweja challenging a metropolitan magistrate order which rejected his plea for recalling Amar Singh to the witness box.

“I find no ground to interfere in the impugned order. Thus, the revision petition is hereby dismissed,” the ASJ said in an order given April 13.

“I have considered the submissions of the petitioner and gone through the record of the earlier court order, it was rightly observed that change in political scenario cannot be said to be a ground for recalling Amar Singh,” said the court.

According to the complaint lodged by Amar Singh with Delhi Police, Verma posed as a law officer and tried to extort Rs.5 crore from him in a disproportionate assets case against Mulayam Singh.