The Hindu : CBI chargesheet against Advani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 01, 2003

Front Page

Front Page

CBI chargesheet against Advani

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 31. The decade-old Ayodhya case appears set to gather some momentum with the Central Bureau of Investigation filing a supplementary chargesheet in a Special Court in Uttar Pradesh today against the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, and seven others.

Along with Mr. Advani, the Human Resource Development Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, Ashok Singhal, and five others have also been named as accused in the chargesheet filed in a Rae Bareli court.

The former Union Minister and BJP leader, Uma Bharti, and the firebrand VHP activist, Sadhvi Rithambara, also figure in the chargesheet, filed about six months after the Supreme Court had upheld the U.P. Government's notification of setting up the Special Court at Rae Bareli for conducting trial of the ``Ayodhya Babri Masjid Demolition'' case.

The court has exempted the accused persons from personal appearance today and posted the matter for hearing to June 13. The CBI has been asked to produce the report of the Crime Branch CID, which had initially probed the demolition case as also its news clippings, videography and photographs.

If matters proceed smoothly, the Special Court will take cognisance of the chargesheet and signal the beginning of the long-pending trial.

Legal experts feel that impediments and challenges could lie in store for the much-publicised case on some ground or the other as its past record since 1993 has shown.

Mr. Advani, Dr. Joshi and the five other accused face charges of inciting communal feelings resulting in the demolition of a religious place.

The case, emanating from the First Information Report (FIR) number 198/92, was initially probed and chargesheeted by the U.P. police and later transferred to the CBI. In the aftermath of the demolition of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, two FIRs were registered — 197/92 in which the kar sevaks were not named and 198/92 which was against Mr. Advani and others.

The U.P. Government, in consultation with the High Court, had issued a notification on September 9, 1993, transferring the case no. 197/92 to a Special CBI Court. However, case no. 198/92 was not covered by this notification and an executive order was issued on October 8, 1993 for transfer of this case as well.

The Special Court had framed charges against 47 persons in the first case and Mr. Advani and seven others in the second case. But on revision, the High Court had in February 2001 quashed the charges against Mr. Advani and others on the technical ground that the transfer of the case was effected without consulting the High Court and termed it illegal.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

China ready to deepen ties with India, says Hu

Putin invites PM, Bush to dinner

CBI chargesheet against Advani

Not afraid: Uma Bharti

Cong. keen on alliances: Sonia

Naidu's poser to Sonia

Masood Azhar resurfaces, preaches jehad

EPF interest rate reduced

Petrol, diesel prices slashed

'Shilpa's father absconding'

Suu Kyi in custody