Babri demolition case: CBI witness testifies

Testifying before a special CBI court hearing the Babri Masjid demolition case, a witness today said he had no information that ISI agents had entered Ayodhya before razing of the mosque.

"This is entirely wrong to say that it was in my knowledge that ISI agents, in the guise of karsewaks, had entered Ayodhya on December 5, 1992," Haji Mehboob told the court.

Cross-examined by the defence counsel, the 10th CBI witness said it was also not correct to say that he had helped ISI agents to roam among the karsewaks.

Asked whether he was aware of the Indian Mujahideen, its actrivities or its connection with ISI, Mehboob said he could not tell whether IM was a terrorist oufit.

As the cross-examination continued, the court fixed March 17 as the next date of hearing.

On January 25, deposing before the special CBI Court, he had said senior BJP leaders, including  LK Advani, had delivered provocative speeches before the shrine was razed.

On December four last year, the Special Court cleared the way for examination of witnesses in the demolition case.

It dismissed a petition filed by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, VHP leader Ashok Singhal and others challenging the authority of the CBI to be the prosecuting agency in the case.