The Hindu : Ample evidence against Advani: CBI

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Saturday, Jul 19, 2003

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Ample evidence against Advani: CBI

Rae Barelli July 18. The CBI today told the special court that there was ample evidence to prove that all the eight accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case, including the Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, had committed offences under various sections of the IPC.

Apart from Mr. Advani, the other accused are M.M. Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti, V.H. Dalmia, Ashok Singhal, Sadhwi Ritambhara and Acharya Giriraj Kishore.

The CBI is pressing charges under sections 153A and 153B (spreading communal frenzy), 147 (rioting), 149 (committing a criminal act with common object) and 505 (creating ill-will among different classes at a place of worship) of the IPC.

The CBI counsel, S. S. Gandhi, who today concluded his oral evidence for the prosecution, tried to substantiate charges under sections 153A, 153B and 505 of the IPC against three accused in particular — Ashok Singhal, Uma Bharti and Sadhvi Ritambhara — by quoting from the statements of various witnesses.

Mr. Gandhi read from the statements of four witnesses who all said Ashok Singhal had called the mosque a `blot on the country which had to be wiped out'.

The CBI counsel told the court that all the eight accused were present at Ayodhya and made provocative speeches.

These, he said, resulted in an unlawful assembly, which indulged in violence.

UNI

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