Special CBI court to pronounce Babri Mosque demolition case verdict on September 30

A special CBI court in Lucknow has fixed September 30 as the date to pronounce the judgment in Babri Mosque demolition case. Special CBI judge S K Yadav will pronounce the verdict. The court has directed all the accused to remain present in the court on that day for hearing the order. There are 32 accused in the case including former deputy PM LK Advani, ex-CM of UP Kalyan Singh, BJP leaders MM Joshi, Uma Bharti and Vinay Katiyar. The date is in line with the Supreme Court's direction. 

What is the Babri Masjid Demolition case?

In May 2017, the special CBI court charged BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Union Minister Uma Bharti and others with criminal conspiracy in the Babri Masjid demolition case. The delay in the examination of the eye-witnesses had been due to delay in framing charges against senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh - who enjoyed immunity as the Governor of Rajasthan. Singh had been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh when a mob demolished the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

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On April 19, 2017, the Supreme Court had ordered the special judge to conduct a day-to-day trial and conclude it within two years. Calling the demolition of the disputed structure a crime which shook the "secular fabric of the Constitution", the apex court had allowed the CBI plea on restoration of the charge of criminal conspiracy against the VIP accused. The apex court had termed the Allahabad High Court's February 12, 2001 verdict dropping the charge of conspiracy against Advani and others as "erroneous".

Earlier this year, the top court set a new deadline for the special judge, asking him to deliver the verdict by September. Before the 2017 verdict of the apex court, there were two sets of cases relating to the demolition, going on in Lucknow and Raebareli. The first case involving unnamed "karsevaks" proceeded in a Lucknow court while the second set of cases relating to eight VIPs was being heard in a Raebareli court. The cases were then clubbed.

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The charges against include - rioting, unlawful assembly, being guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object, promoting enmity between different groups, assertions prejudicial to national-integration, statements conducive to public mischief, apart from criminal conspiracy. The special court has also framed charges against former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti, Mahant Nrityagopal Das, Shiv Sena leader Satish Pradhan, VHP leader Champat Rai, Mahant Dharmdas and B.L. Sharma - charging them with criminal conspiracy and IPC sections for damaging or defiling place of worship, deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings.

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1992 Babri Masjid Demolition

On December 6, 1992, a rally had been organised in the then disputed Ram Janmabhoomi area where the Babri Masjid stood - which attracted 1,50,000 karsevaks. The rally - allegedly organised by the BJP & VHP - turned violent when karsevaks attacked security personnel and demolished the mosque. The demolition caused communal riots which caused the deaths of thousands.

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