CBI for consolidated trial in Babri Masjid case

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the CBI wants to have a consolidated trial in the Babri Masjid demolition case at Lucknow as the consolidated chargesheet has been filed in the case against 49 accused, including senior leaders of Sangh Parivar.

The accused in the case include former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, senior BJP leaders MM Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Ritambhra, VHP leaders Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Ashok Singhal and Giri Raj Kishore.

A bench comprising Justices KG Balakrishnan, GP Mathur and DK Jain adjourned the hearing and directed that only review petition shall be heard on the next date of hearing while contempt petitions for not protecting the Babri Masjid despite repeated assurance given to the apex court that the disputed structure would be protected at all costs, shall be heard separately.

The court also questioned the locus of Mohd Aslam Bhure in a criminal case.

The counsel for Bhure contended before the court that there was no need to issue the notification dated Oct 8,1993 transfering the case against eight VVIP accused persons to court at Rai Bareli instead of holding the trial at Lucknow. The objections were also raised about the charges being diluted and being made triable by the court of a magistrate instead of a district judge.

The accused persons are facing charges of criminal conspiracy to raze the Babri Masjid to the ground on December.