The Central Bureau of Investigation has moved the Supreme Court against a judgment of the Allahabad High Court upholding the dropping of conspiracy charge by a special court against BJP leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and 18 others in the Babri Masjid demolition case. The Lucknow Bench of the High Court on May 20, 2010 dismissed the CBI’s revision petition for a direction to proceed with the conspiracy charge against Mr. Advani and others. Nine months later, the CBI has now filed the appeal with an application for condonation of delay. Mr. Advani and 20 others faced charges in two cases arising out of two separate first information reports. In the first FIR, conspiracy alleged against “lakhs of unknown kar sevaks” was for the offence of demolition (case 197). The second FIR, which specifically charged Mr. Advani and other leaders with making inflammatory speeches leading to the demolition (case 198), was tried in a special court in Rae Bareli. The two cases were later merged and handed over to the CBI, which filed a composite charge sheet on October 5, 1993.
CBI OPPOSES DROPPING OF CONSPIRACY CHARGE AGAINST ADVANI, OTHERS
The Central Bureau of Investigation has moved the Supreme Court against a judgment of the Allahabad High Court upholding the dropping of conspiracy charge by a special court against BJP leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and 18 others
