Arms dealer Abhishek Verma has deposed before the CBI that Congress leader Jagdish Tytler had told him in 2008 that he had met the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after which he got a clean chit over his alleged role in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
In his statement as a witness recorded by the CBI during a probe, Verma, an accused in the naval war room leak and other cases including cheating and forgery, has said that Tytler had also told him that a deal was struck and a hefty amount was paid to a riots case witness, who had deposed against him.
Containing these claims, the CBI has filed a third closure report in a Delhi court which today heard arguments on the report and asked the agency to respond to the allegations that Tytler had tried to influence the witness.
The CBI said in its closure report that Verma's oral evidence indicated that Tytler might have tried to influence witness Surinder. However, the agency said the fact narrated by Verma could not be verified as Surinder has since expired.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler posted the case for June 26 asking the prosecutor to inform him about the action taken by CBI on the allegations that Tytler had also paid money to the witness and the alleged hawala transaction.
"As per the deal, hefty amount was paid to Surinder Singh Granthi (witness who has died) besides settling his son Narinder Singh abroad. He (Tytler) also told me (Verma) that he had mounted pressure on Narinder who in turn was to pressurise his father Surinder to change his statement in favour of Jagdish Tytler," testified Verma, who is at present lodged in a jail and whose statement was recorded by CBI on August 5, 2013.
"He (Tytler) also boasted of having met the Prime Minister who in turn would ask Director/CBI to get the investigating conducted in his favour...
"He further boasted that it was due to his said meeting with the Prime Minister that CBI had given him a clean chit in the case but the judge was not inclined to accept the clea chit for which he (Jagdish Tytler) was making effort to settle the issue with the judge," Verma has said.
He said the conversation between him and Tytler took place after his release from jail in the leak case when they were going to a farmhouse of Gopal Kanda, the then Congress MLA of Haryana, in August-September, 2008.
During the hearing, senior advocate H S Phoolka, representing the riots victims, said it was shocking that even after receiving evidence of such incriminating nature, the CBI has submitted a closure report.
