National
Babri demolition case: Court records evidence of first witness

Rae Bareli (PTI): A day before the 15th anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, a designated CBI court here on wednesday commenced the trial in the case in which senior BJP leader L K Advani and seven Sangh parivar leaders are accused.

Hanuman Prasad, an Assistant Sub-inspector with the Uttar Pradesh Police, deposed as the first witness before Special Judge Vansraj Singh and verified the FIR lodged by him againt Advani and others for allegedly giving provocative slogans, two years after the court had framed charges against them.

Prasad said "he prepared the FIR on the basis of the complaint of Ganga Prasad Tiwary, the then Chowki incharge of the Police Station Ram Janam Bhoomi, Ayodhya, on December 6, 1992".

Prasad, who was then posted as Munshi (clerk) at the Police station, verified that he had written the FIR, the day the medieval structure was razed down.

Besides Advani, senior BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and Vinay Katiyar, Bharatiya Janshakti Party chief Uma Bharti and VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Vishnu Hari Dalmia and Sadhvi Rithambra are the accused in the case.

The court did not grant time to the counsel for the accused to cross-examine Prasad.

The second witness, R K Swamy, the then Deputy Commandant of CRPF will record his testimony on December 16.

All the accused have been charged under various sections of IPC for causing provocation with intention to cause riot and promoting enmity between two religions to harm national integration.

National

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