A special CBI court will pronounce its judgment in the decades-old Babri Masjid demolition case on 30 September, in which former deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharti are among the 32 accused.
Special CBI judge SK Yadav will pronounce the judgment and the court has directed all the accused, including LK Advani to remain present for hearing.
The Supreme Court had earlier given time till 30 September to the special CBI court to deliver its verdict on the Babri Masjid demolition case after having exceeded an earlier deadline for judgment on 31 August, reported NDTV.
“The special CBI court that is hearing the Babri Masjid demolition case should complete the trial and deliver its verdict by 30 September,” the Supreme Court had said.
In 2017, the top court had directed the trial court to conduct day-to-day hearings and finish the trial within two years. A month’s extension was also granted after a plea by special judge SK Yadav.
Advani and Others Deny Charges
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani had recorded his statement in the case before the special CBI court through a video conference on 24 July, whereas, MM Joshi had recorded his statement on 23 July.
In the case hearing, which took place on 4 August, a day before the ground-breaking event in Ayodhya, Advani and Joshi denied all charges against them.
Speaking to NDTV, BJP leader Uma Bharti had said that she told the court what was true and is not worried about the judgment.
“I was called by the court for my statement, and I have told the court what was true. It does not matter to me what the judgment will be,” she said.
Criminal Conspiracy Charges
According to PTI, the Supreme Court had exercise its extraordinary constitutional powers, granted under Article 142, to restore the criminal conspiracy charges framed against Advani and others in 2017. In doing so, the apex court overruled an Allahabad High Court judgement.
In 2010, the Allahabad HC had upheld a special CBI court’s decision from 2001 to drop the conspiracy charges.
(With inputs from PTI and NDTV.)
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