The Supreme Court will today hear the conspiracy charges against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti in connection with the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case. The apex court will hear the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) plea against the Allahabad High Court’s order dropping criminal conspiracy charges against the BJP leaders in the case.
There are two sets of cases – one against BJP veteran leader Advani and others, who were on the dais at Ram Katha Kunj in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 when the Babri mosque was demolished. The other case was against lakhs of ‘karsevaks’ (volunteers) who were in and around the disputed structure. The CBI had chargesheeted Advani and 20 others under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between classes), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (false statements, rumours etc. circulated with the intent to cause mutiny or disturb public peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
It had subsequently invoked charges under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, which was quashed by the special court whose decision was upheld by the high court.
The Supreme Court yesterday had fixed for tomorrow the hearing in the Babri Masjid demolition case in which senior BJP leaders L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti are accused.
You may also like to watch this:
On March 6, the apex court had decided to examine the appeal against dropping of conspiracy charge against the accused including Advani, Joshi and Bharti in the case related to demolition of Babri Masjid in the disputed Ram janmabhoomi in Ayodhya in 1992.
The top court had also came up with an option of ordering a joint trial of cases arising out of the two FIRs lodged in the wake of the demolition of the disputed structure.
However, the clubbing of two FIRs was opposed by the counsel for the accused on the ground that there were different sets of persons named as accused in the two cases, the trial of which were at an advanced stage at two different places.
They were of the view that joint trial would lead to the beginning of proceedings de novo (afresh). Altogether, 13 persons including Advani, Joshi and Bharti were discharged of conspiracy charge in the case, the trial of which is being held at a special court in Raebareli.
The second set of case was against unknown ‘karsevaks’ who were in and around the disputed structure and the trial was being held at a court in Lucknow.
The appeals were filed by Ahmad and CBI against dropping of conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi and 19 others for demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992.