New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday, while reserving verdict in appeals in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case, indicated that ‘conspiracy charge’ will be revived against BJP leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and 19 others and joint trial will be held in a special court in Lucknow.
Pointing out that the case is pending for 25 years, the top court said it will direct the trial court in Lucknow to complete the trial in two years by ordering day-to-day hearing. Advani and others will be sentenced up to five years imprisonment if conspiracy charge is proved in the joint trial.
The CBI chargesheet had alleged that a secret meeting took place at the residence of Vinay Katiyar on the eve of the demolition during which the final decision to demolish the disputed structure was taken. The conspiracy hatched in 1990 by Advani and others culminated in the demolition, the CBI said and added that conspiracy charge was dropped on technical grounds and should be revived.
Curiously the CBI under the NDA’s dispensation pressed for the appeal vigorously and the Additional Solicitor General Neeraj Kishan Kaul sought a joint trial in one court with conspiracy charge added against Advani and 20 others.
Now separate trials are held in Rae Bareilly (against Advani and others without conspiracy charge) and Lucknow (with conspiracy).
Haji Mahboob Ahmad in his writ petition questioned the dropping of conspiracy charge against Advani and others. He argued that the 21 accused including Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Ashok Singhal and Giriraj Kishore, were the persons who participated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992. But the trial court discharged them from the charge of conspiracy and this order was affirmed by the Allahabad High Court on technical grounds.
