New Delhi:
The Supreme Court today questioned the CBI about its delay in challenging an earlier verdict that said senior BJP leaders like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi cannot be tried for criminal conspiracy in the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
In May 2010, the Allahabad High Court ruled that conspiracy charges would not apply against a group including Mr Advani and Kalyan Singh, who was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh when the mosque was razed in December 1992.
Today, the Supreme Court asked the CBI why it took unusually long to challenge that verdict. Mr Advani's lawyer objected to this 'condonation' of an alleged delay and said the investigating agency had filed an appeal within six months.
The CBI's lawyer, PP Rao, told the court that this is a case of national importance, the judges responded, "You can't say it is a national crime until court decides one way or other."
The agency said it would like to file additional affidavits against Mr Advani and others, but the judges said the CBI will have to argue its case based on existing material submitted to the court.
On December 6, 1992, Mr Advani was among leaders on the dais at a building facing the disputed structure when thousands of 'karsevaks' or Hindu volunteers gathered to raze the mosque in Ayodhya, claiming it was built on the birth-place of Lord Rama. In communal riots that followed, 2000 people were killed.
There are two sets of court cases - one against Mr Advani and senior BJP leaders for allegedly making provocative speeches that incited the crowd; the other case is against lakhs of unknown 'karsevaks' who were in and around the disputed structure.
Mr Advani and colleagues from the BJP are being tried separately in a Rae Bareilly court in UP on other criminal charges including promoting enmity between classes, making assertions prejudicial to national integration and making false statements with the intent to disturb public peace.
The CBI chargesheeted them on these charges and had later sought to add the charge of criminal conspiracy, but the court disallowed it, an order upheld by the high court.
In May 2010, the Allahabad High Court ruled that conspiracy charges would not apply against a group including Mr Advani and Kalyan Singh, who was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh when the mosque was razed in December 1992.
Today, the Supreme Court asked the CBI why it took unusually long to challenge that verdict. Mr Advani's lawyer objected to this 'condonation' of an alleged delay and said the investigating agency had filed an appeal within six months.
The CBI's lawyer, PP Rao, told the court that this is a case of national importance, the judges responded, "You can't say it is a national crime until court decides one way or other."
The agency said it would like to file additional affidavits against Mr Advani and others, but the judges said the CBI will have to argue its case based on existing material submitted to the court.
On December 6, 1992, Mr Advani was among leaders on the dais at a building facing the disputed structure when thousands of 'karsevaks' or Hindu volunteers gathered to raze the mosque in Ayodhya, claiming it was built on the birth-place of Lord Rama. In communal riots that followed, 2000 people were killed.
There are two sets of court cases - one against Mr Advani and senior BJP leaders for allegedly making provocative speeches that incited the crowd; the other case is against lakhs of unknown 'karsevaks' who were in and around the disputed structure.
Mr Advani and colleagues from the BJP are being tried separately in a Rae Bareilly court in UP on other criminal charges including promoting enmity between classes, making assertions prejudicial to national integration and making false statements with the intent to disturb public peace.
The CBI chargesheeted them on these charges and had later sought to add the charge of criminal conspiracy, but the court disallowed it, an order upheld by the high court.
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