Of justice,
Top court to rule on CBI’s plea to restore conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi and others
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court called on Thursday the delay in the Babri Masjid demolition case an “evasion of justice” and reserved its verdict on the CBI’s plea to restore criminal conspiracy charges against BJP leaders such as LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti.
A bench of Justice PC Ghose and Justice RF Nariman said it will consider in the interest of justice ordering a time-bound day-to-day trial, to be completed preferably within two years, since the case hasn’t progressed in the past 25 years.
The Babri mosque in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992, by “kar sevaks” or supporters of the right-wing VHP, sparking communal riots across the country that left more than 3,000 people dead.
Many Hindus believe that god Ram was born at the spot where Babur, the first Mughal emperor, had built the mosque. The disputed site, comprising 2.7 acres, remains India’s most potent religious flashpoint.
There were two sets of cases relating the demolition of the structure. The first involved unnamed “kar sevaks” that a Lucknow special court is trying.
The second set relates to several BJP leaders, including Advani, Joshi, Bharti and then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, being heard in a Rae Bareli court.
The Lucknow court had dropped charges of criminal conspiracy against the senior BJP leaders on technical grounds 16 years ago.
The Supreme Court hinted that it might revive the case. “One party cannot take advantage of a technical defect. We need to do justice in cases like these,” the bench said.