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. Keep refreshing this page to get all LIVE UPDATES of Babri Masjid demolition case verdict:

30/09/2020 15:45:50

Special court verdict acquitting all 32 accused in Babri masjid demolition case will be challenged in the high court: Lawyer Zafaryab Jilani

30/09/2020 15:46:15

After a copy of today's verdict is received, it would be sent to the CBI headquarters where it would be studied by the legal department and a decision on filing an appeal would be taken as per its suggestion: CBI counsel Lalit Singh on Babri Masjid demolition case

30/09/2020 15:17:43

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Wednesday demanded that the CBI should appeal against the Special CBI court Lucknow's verdict acquitting all 32 accused in the Babri mosque demolition case of December 6, 1992. IUML supremo Panakad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal said it was most unfortunate that the Babri Masjid was demolished and those who did it have now gone scot-free and hence the CBI should go in for an appeal.

30/09/2020 15:08:19

"Truth Always Wins," said Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday after a special CBI court in Lucknow acquitted all accused in the Babri mosque demolition case. Hailing the verdict, Sawant, who is currently in New Delhi on an official trip, tweeted, "All the accused in #BabriDemolitionCase have been acquitted. Truth always wins!"

30/09/2020 14:58:38

Jai Shri Ram: Advani on being acquitted in Babri demolition case




Veteran BJP leader LK Advani, who was acquitted by a special CBI court on Wednesday in the Babri mosque demolition case, welcomed the court verdict by chanting 'Jai Shri Ram', and said it vindicates his personal and BJP's belief and commitment towards the 'Ram Janmabhoomi Movement'.




"It is a very important decision and a matter of happiness for us. When we heard the news of the court's order, we welcomed it by chanting Jai Shri Ram, Advani said in a video message.

30/09/2020 14:57:39

Today is a sad day in the history of Indian judiciary. Now, the court says there was no conspiracy. Please enlighten me, how many days of months of preparations are required to disqualify an action from being spontaneous?: Asaduddin Owaisi on Babri Masjid demolition verdict

30/09/2020 14:29:16

Today is a sad day in the history of Indian judiciary. Now, the court says there was no conspiracy. Please enlighten me, how many days of months of preparations are required to disqualify an action from being spontaneous?: Asaduddin Owaisi on Babri Masjid demolition verdict

30/09/2020 12:55:48

The court further said the CBI had failed to substantiate the charges levelled against the 32 accused persons for the past 28 years. The court also said that the video recordings submitted to the court were 'tampered with'.

30/09/2020 12:38:19

As Judge SK Yadav starts reading out the brief of the case, the court observes that evidences against the accused are not strong enough. Yadav also said that Babri Mosque demolition incident was not preplanned.

30/09/2020 12:29:35

BIG BREAKING | All Accused Acquitted In Babri Masjid Demolition Case




All accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case have been acquitted by the Special CBI court in Lucknow.

30/09/2020 12:19:41

Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Satish Pradhan and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das attend proceedings via video conferencing, as court is set to announce verdict in Babri Masjid demolition case.

30/09/2020 12:06:14

Special judge Surendra Kumar Yadav, on May 30, 2017, had framed charges against Advani, Joshi, Bharti, Katiyar and Rithambhara for conspiracy under Section 120 B of IPC read with sections 147, 149, 153(a), 153(b) and 505(1)(b) of IPC.




Mahant Nritya Gopal, Ram Vilas Vedanti, Dharmadas and Satish Pradhan are facing charges under Section 295 of IPC in addition to Sections 147, 149, 153(a), 153(b) and 505(1)(b).

30/09/2020 11:52:08

Babri Masjid plaintiff, Iqbal Ansari, has urged the special CBI court hearing the demolition case, to acquit all accused in the case. Ansari told a news channel that the Supreme Court has already given its verdict on the dispute and the process of temple construction has also begun.

30/09/2020 11:41:54

Ahead of the pronouncement of verdict in the Babri mosque demolition case by a special court here, a multi-layered security apparatus was put in place in the vicinity of the Old High Court building. Wooden barricades were erected near most of the cross sections in the vicinity of the court building, and movement of buses from the Kaisarbagh bus stand diverted.

30/09/2020 10:34:08

While speaking to ABP News, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that Shiv Sena his party is also waiting for the court's verdict on the Babri demolition case. However, Raut also contended that there is no importance of the case as the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan has already been done in August.

30/09/2020 10:03:27

Meanwhile, other accused Vinay Katiyar, Dharamdas, Vedanti, Lallu Singh, Champat Rai and Pawan Pandey have reached Lucknow ahead of the pronouncement of the verdict. Even CBI judge SK Yadav has also arrived at the court.

30/09/2020 09:33:19

Recap | Charge framed against 48 people, but 17 passed away




The CBI has 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.




Accused including Bal Thackeray, Ashok Singhal, Mahant Avaidyanath, Giriraj Kishore and Vijayaraje Scindia passed away during the course of the trial, leaving 32 accused in the case.

30/09/2020 09:15:30

As per reports, a special court here will deliver the much-awaited judgment at around 10 am today in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case in which BJP veterans L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi are among the accused.

30/09/2020 09:14:10

Visuals outside Special CBI court in Lucknow:

30/09/2020 09:12:59

Former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, former union ministers, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, former MP Vinay Katiyar and several other VHP leaders are among the 32 accused whose fate will be decided in the case on Wednesday.

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.

ALSO READ | Babri Masjid Demolition Case & All You Need To Know About It Ahead Of CBI Court Verdict

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.