Phota Singh told Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sharda Aggarwal that he had gone to drop his wife Bindi Kaur at the Rampur Eye Camp ``four-five days prior to the riots. It is incorrect to suggest that on October 31, 1984, I had gone to the eye camp or that I returned on November 6, 1984, or that I was not present at the time of this incident.''

Sultanpuri resident Nevin Singh was allegedly murdered by the accused on November 1, 1984. The case was first highlighted after his widow Anwar Kaur filed an affidavit with the Poti-Rosha committee, set up to inquire into the riots. The CBI registered the case on September 7, 1990. However, the chargesheet was only filed in December 1994.

On September 13, 1996, asessions court framed charges of murder, dacoity and rioting against the accused. The court order states: ``You all were members of an unlawful assembly, the common objective of which was to kill the male members of the Sikh community and to loot, damage and burn their properties... you all committed the offence of Nevin Singh's murder.''

The accused immediately moved the High Court, which rejected their plea. In January this year the accused were issued summons to stand trial.

The formal trial of the 11 accused -- Sajjan Kumar, Nathu Ram, Brahmanand Gupta, Jai Bhagwan Gupta, Shish Ram, Pyare Ram, Uddal Singh, Chanda Ram, Hanuman Prasad, Satbir Singh, Jaikishan and Mahender Siungh Yadav -- began on March 23 in the court of Additional Sessions Judge M A Khan.