Babri case: CBI court rejects prosecution plea to file written arguments

Special CBI judge SK Yadav on Tuesday rejected pleas of two prosecution witnesses seeking permission to file written arguments in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

The court held that the two prosecution witnesses, Hazi Mahmood Ahmad and Sayyed Akhlakh, were not victims in the case.

The court had set Wednesday for the defence to file its written arguments in the case. Meanwhile, the CBI has already filed its 400 page written arguments in connection with the case.

The Supreme Court of India had recently extended the deadline for a verdict in the case till September end.

As many as 32 accused including senior BJP leader LK Advani, Kalyan Singh, and Uma Bharti are facing trial in the case.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, had on August 19 passed an order extending the deadline for pronouncing the judgement till September 30.

The top court had, in its last order, granted the trial court CBI judge in Lucknow time till August 31 to pronounce the judgement.

The Supreme Court order came on a plea filed by special judge Surendra Kumar Yadav, who is hearing the matter related to the demolition of Babri Masjid, seeking more time to pronounce the judgement in the cases.