SC exempts Union Minister from appearance to depose in murder case of SP MLA

The Supreme Court on Tuesday exempted Union Minister Kalraj Mishra from appearing in person as a witness in a 1996 case relating to the murder of Samajwadi Party MLA Jawahar Pandit in Allahabad.
 
A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, however, said the trial in the case involving former BSP MP Kapil Muni Karwariya, his brother and former BJP MLA Udaybhan and ex-MLC Surajbhan as prime accused would continue.
 
“The trial may proceed, but the petitioner shall not be compelled to be called as a witness, for we find there is some ground that he can be examined as a witness through video conferencing,” the bench, also comprising Justices Prafulla C Pant and Justice D Y Chandrachud, said.
 
Mishra, a BJP MP from Deoria and Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, challenged an order by the Allahabad High Court of August 11, declining to stay the summons issued against by the trial judge for Wednesday. The accused had pressed for an examination of Mishra as a witness for his statement was recorded by the CB-CID during the investigation.
 
Then SP MLA from Jhunsi assembly constituency Jawahar Pandit was murdered in Allahabad's Civil Lines area on August 13, 1996.