The Hindu : National : Liberhan Commission's term extended by three months

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2005

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National

Liberhan Commission's term extended by three months

Legal Correspondent

Asked to submit report before March 31, 2006

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday extended by another three months the tenure of the Justice Liberhan Commission, probing the sequence of events leading to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

The commission, whose term is to expire on December 31, has been asked to submit its report on or before March 31, 2006.

The commission, set up on December 16, 1992, commenced its effective sittings from January 1993.

It was kept in abeyance for about two years in the wake of certain interim orders passed by the Delhi High Court.

It started regular hearing only from 1995. During the last 13 years of hearing, the Commission had held nearly 350 sittings and examined 101 witnesses — 14 defence witnesses; 53 Central Government witnesses and 34 commission's witnesses, including L.K. Advani, former Deputy Prime Minister; P.V. Narasimha Rao and V.P. Singh, former Prime Ministers; Jyoti Basu, former West Bengal Chief Minister; Murli Manohar Joshi, former Union Minister and senior VHP and RSS leaders.

During its sitting last week, the Commission gave the last opportunity to the Centre to file its written submissions by December 30.

It also asked the other parties to submit their responses.

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