The Khairlanji Action Committee has alleged that the most important "caste factor" was diluted in the infamous Dalits killing case during the trial and subsequently when the Bombay High Court commuted the death sentence of six accused to life imprisonment.

"We had drawn the attention of then Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on November 12, 2007 about mitigating the caste factor in Khairlanji case involving the brutal murder of four members of a Dalit family on September 29, 2006. But the case was treated by special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam as a mere murder trial," Action Committee Convenor Milind Pakhale, told reporters here.

Pakhale said Nikam did not ask questions to prime witnesses-- Bhaiyalal Bhotmange and Siddartha Gajbhiye-- about land disputes, house destructions besides abuse and vulgar gestures towards deceased teenager Priyanka.

The Convenor also raised questions on the professionalism of Nikam and claimed that no dalit organisation or individual had demanded Nikam's appointment as SPP in the case.

"Now the onus is on the state government to challenge the verdict in the apex court," he said yesterday.

It was unfortunate that the court proceedings which should have been completed within 6 months was dragged to 16 long months, the Committee alleged.