Babri Masjid Case Verdict Highlights: LK Advani, Uma Bharti Among 32 Accused Acquitted, CBI Court Observes Incident Not Pre-Planned
Babri Masjid Case Verdict LIVE: A CBI special court on Wednesday acquitted all 32 accused in the 28-year-old Babri Masjid demolition case citing lack of evidence and observing that demolition of Mosque was not pre-planned. The 32 accused acquitted today include former deputy prime minister Advani, former Union ministers Joshi and Uma Bharti, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, during whose tenure the structure was pulled down, besides Vinay Katiyar and Sadhvi Rithambara.
Special security arrangements have been made in Ayodhya also where police personnel have been deployed in adequate numbers. Rapid Action Force personnel have also been deployed in Lucknow and Ayodhya.
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Background
Lucknow: As the special CBI court is all set to deliver the much-awaited verdict in 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case, a high alert has been sounded across Uttar Pradesh for Wednesday. According to reports, more than 2,000 police personnel, half of them in civil clothes, have been deployed to ensure the security of the area. ALSO READ | Tamil Nadu Extends Lockdown Till October 31; Check What Has Been Allowed & What Still Remains Closed
Special security arrangements have been made in Ayodhya also where police personnel have been deployed in adequate numbers. Rapid Action Force personnel have also been deployed in Lucknow and Ayodhya.
The verdict will be announced in Court room number 18, and it has been decided that only five out of 32 accused will be inside the courtroom at any time. The rest will be seated outside in the lobby.
The Babri Masjid was demolished in December 1992 by "kar sevaks" who claimed that the mosque in Ayodhya was built on the site of an ancient Ram temple. In a significant judgment last year, the Supreme Court allotted the disputed site in Ayodhya for construction of a Ram temple, while calling the demolition of the mosque a violation of the rule of law.
An alternative five-acre site was marked in the city for building a mosque.
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In Babri Masjid demolition case, former deputy prime minister Advani, former Union ministers Joshi and Uma Bharti, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, besides Vinay Katiyar and Sadhvi Rithambara are prime accused.
CBI judge SK Yadav had on September 16 directed all the 32 surviving accused to remain present in the court on the day of the judgment. The iconic judgment will be delivered after 27 years.
However, it is being said that while Advani and Joshi are more likely to skip the hearing on age and health grounds, BJP leader Uma Bharti has excused herself as she has tested positive for Covid-19.
With the Supreme Court setting August 31 as the deadline and later extending it by a month for the CBI court to give its verdict, the trial court started day-to-day hearing to complete the task in time.
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The central agency produced 351 witnesses and 600 documents as evidence before the court. Charges were framed against 48 people, but 17 have died during the course of trial. The top court ordered daily hearing in the high profile case and directed the special judge to conclude it in two years.
The trial under the serious criminal conspiracy charges commenced against them after having been dropped by the trial court in 2001. The verdict was upheld by the Allahabad High Court in 2010, but the apex court ordered restoration of the conspiracy charge against them on April 19, 2017.
The decision of special court to acquit all accused in Babri Masjid demolition case runs counter to SC judgment, said Congress.
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