The Supreme Court restored criminal conspiracy charges against Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders LK Advani, Uma Bharti and Murli Manohar Joshi, in the Babri Masjid Demolition case, today.

The bench comprising Justices, P C Ghose and R F Nariman pronounced the judgement. The apex court ordered that the separate trials, being conducted in trail courts at Rae Bareli and Lucknow, should be clubbed and conducted in the Uttar Pradesh capital. The judges also ordered daily hearings, to ensure a verdict is delivered within two years. The top court further stated that, the judges leading the case will not be transferred till the trial is concluded and judgment has been pronounced, and on no grounds it will be adjourned.

The SC has also directed the probe agency, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ensure that prosecution witnesses appear in trial court, for recording of evidence in the case. The other BJP leaders, who will face criminal conspiracy charges are, Vinay Katiyar, Sadhvi Ritambara, Satish Pradhan, Champat Rai Bansal and the late Giriraj Kishore.

Mr Advani (89) along with party colleagues like Murli Manohar Joshi, made inflammatory speeches, that motivated lakhs of right-wing volunteers or karsevaks to pull down the mosque in 1992. The trial was being held in Rae Bareli.

The SC, however, excluded Kalyan Singh, who was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh when the mosque was demolished, is currently the Governor of Rajasthan. The Minister cannot be prosecuted while in office, and his trial will begin after his term ends.

There were two sets of cases relating to the demolition of the demolition structure on December 6, 1992. The first involved unnamed “karsevaks”, the trial of which is taking place in a Lucknow court, while the second set of cases relate to the VVIPs in a Rae Bareli court.

The Supreme Court granted parties to the case, to approach if the orders were not followed, and further stated that its order should be followed in “letter and print.”

The bench said, “We have allowed the CBI appeal against the Allahabad High Court judgment with certain directions.”

In 2010, the Allahabad High Court disagreed with the CBI about criminal conspiracy charges against the BJP veterans, which meant that the leader’s case continued to be heard in Rae Bareli. The CBI had appealed against that decision in the top court.

SC Reserves Order On Plea Against BJP Leaders In Babri Masjid Demolition Case

By Supraja