Babri Masjid ghost back to haunt LK Advani

In a move loaded with political significance, the CBI has moved the Supreme Court against an Allahabad high court order, which dropped charges of criminal conspiracy against LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and others in the December 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.

In May 2010, a larger bench of the high court had dismissed the CBI’s plea seeking revival of criminal conspiracy charges against top BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders. In its 44-page judgment, the court had held that there was no merit in the CBI’s revision petition challenging the May 4, 2001, order of the special court.

Advani is facing trial on charges under sections 147 IPC (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) in a Rae Bareli court. There are two sets of cases — one against Advani and others who were on the dais at Ram Katha Kunj in Ayodhya when the Babri Masjid was demolished, while the other against the kar sevaks who were in and around the structure.    

The CBI on Friday submitted that the trial court and the high court had erroneously dropped conspiracy charges and proceeded against them for instigating the crowd and not indulging in actual demolition.