BABRI DEMOLITION CASE: KALYAN SINGH GETS BAIL
LUCKNOW : Former Rajasthan governor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kalyan Singh was granted bail by a special CBI court in Lucknow on Friday in connection with a criminal case related to the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
Singh had appeared before the court at around noon. His bail application was heard after the court ordered his judicial custody.
Special CBI judge SK Yadav granted bail to the former UP chief minister after fixing charges against him under several sections, including 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc) and 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The bail was granted on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh, said lawyer KK Mishra, who is representing Singh in court.
“The main charges against Singh include allowing unlawful assembly of ‘karsevks’ and criminal conspiracy resulting in the demolition of Babri Masjid,” he said.
This is the BJP leader’s first court appearance in the criminal conspiracy case connected to the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Till recently, Singh had immunity from criminal proceedings because he was holding a constitutional post as the governor of Rajasthan. However, this immunity ended on September 3, when his tenure ended.
To recall, on April 1, 2017, the Supreme Court had given the CBI court judge two years to complete the trial after criminal conspiracy charges against Singh and other senior BJP leaders, including LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti, were revived. On July 19, last year, the SC had set a nine-month deadline for the special CBI court in Lucknow to pronounce the final verdict in the case and had also extended the tenure of the judge hearing it. All public witnesses have already deposed before the court and now investigating officers are testifying.
On Friday, Singh was accompanied by his son and BJP MP (Etah) Rajveer Singh, and grandson Sandeep Singh, a minister in the UP government, in court. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) vice-president Champat Rai and Bajrang Dal leader Prakash Sharma were also present to lend support. After completing his tenure as the governor of Rajasthan, Singh handed over the charge to Kalraj Mishra on September 8 and reached Lucknow the next day.