SC defers hearing in Babri Masjid case by 2 weeks

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti are among the accused

The Supreme Court today deferred by two weeks the hearing in the Babri Masjid demolition case, in which senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti are accused, according to reports. 

The apex court on Wednesday had fixed Thursday as the date of hearing for the case. A bench headed by Justice P C Ghose said the appropriate bench comprising him and Justice R F Nariman would hear the matter on Thursday.

At the outset, counsel for Haji Mahboob Ahmad (since deceased) had moved an application seeking a week's time to file a report with regard to the status of the case in trial court.

Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the BJP leaders, had said that the matter should be listed after four weeks to enable them to file some documents.

On March 6, the apex court had decided to examine the appeal against dropping of conspiracy charge against the accused, including Advani, Joshi and Bharti in the case related to the demolition of Babri Masjid in the disputed Ram janmabhoomi in Ayodhya in 1992.

The top court had also come up with an option of ordering a joint trial of cases arising out of the two FIRs lodged in the wake of the demolition of the disputed structure.

However, the clubbing of two FIRs was opposed by the counsel for the accused on the ground that there were different sets of persons named as accused in the two cases, the trial of which were at an advanced stage at two different places.

They were of the view that joint trial would lead to the beginning of proceedings de novo (afresh).

Altogether, 13 persons including Advani, Joshi and Bharti were discharged of conspiracy charge in the case, the trial of which is being held at a special court in Raebareli.

The second set of cases were against unknown karsevaks (volunteers) who were in and around the disputed structure and the trial was being held at a court in Lucknow.

The appeals were filed by Ahmad and CBI against dropping of conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi and 19 others for the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992.