Headlines
SC notice to Advani, Joshi over Babri Masjid demolition
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to senior BJP leaders L.K.
Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi on a petition challenging the Allahabad
High Court verdict discharging them of criminal conspiracy in the
demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.
Besides the two, union minister Uma Bharti and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh have also been issued the notice.
The
Allahabad High Court on May 20, 2010 absolved them of the charge of
criminal conspiracy that led to the razing of the 16th century mosque in
the Uttar Pradesh town of Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
An apex
court bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Arun Mishra issued
the notice as senior counsel Kapil Sibal told them that a fresh
application had been moved by Haji Mahboob Ahmed challenging the high
court verdict.
The apex court also gave the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) four weeks to get the papers to support its case
challenging the discharge of Advani and others.
Additional
Solicitor General N.K. Kaul told the apex court that the CBI had filed
an affidavit explaining the delay in filing the petition challenging the
high court ruling.
Allowing four weeks time, the court said it would be hearing the matter on the question of law, delay and merits.
The CBI moved the apex court on February 18, 2011, nearly nine months after the Allahabad High Court verdict.
The
CBI said in its appeal before the apex court that the high court ruling
discharging Advani and others of the offence of criminal conspiracy "is
inconsistent with the previous judgment rendered by the Allahabad High
Court on February 12, 2001".
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad
High Court had held that the trial court committed no illegality in
taking "cognizance of joint consolidated chargesheet" and "all the
offences were committed in the course of the same transaction to
accomplish the conspiracy".
The high court had noted that the "evidence for all the offences was almost the same".
Besides
Advani, others accused in the case include Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Ashok
Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Hari Dalmiya, Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Ritambrara,
Mahant Avaidyanath and Kalyan Singh, who was the Uttar Pradesh chief
minister when the Babri mosque was razed.
Since then, Giriraj Kishore and Mahant Avaidyanath have passed away, and their names will be taken off.