'Just' SC has delivered, says AIMPLB member in Babri case

An All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member on Wednesday said that the Supreme Court will deliver justice in connection with the Babri Masjid demolition case.

"We welcome the Supreme Court's decision on the Masjid case.The Supreme Court has rightly said there must be day to day hearing in the case. We think that all those who are culprits in this case, charges will be framed against them, and it will be ensured that justice must be done in this case. For the last 25 years, we all were waiting for justice. People have made provocative speeches and worked against national integration and creating enmity between the two largest communities in this country. Since the highest court has said that the decision will be taken, then we are hopeful," AIMPLB member Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali told ANI.

BMAC convener Zafaryab Jilani said, "We hope that guilty person must be punished within two years. The chargesheet in this case was filed in 1994. These were the persons who were escaping trials because of an order passed by CBI court in 2001. Proceedings were dropped against these persons and CBI had challenged this order before the High Court and when the High Court did not respond the agency moved to Supreme Court. When NDA government came into power we suspected that CBI will not seriously prosecute the case therefore we filed special petition," Jilani told ANI.

Swami Hardayal Shastri, a petitioner said, "The Supreme Court has taken a right decision. Till the evidences are found no one becomes a culprit. Just by saying no one can become a culprit. How much he has done for that he has got enough punishment. The court has done right to give punishments to the culprits."

The apex court has ruled that senior BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, Uma Bharti and Joshi will face criminal conspiracy charges in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

The apex court has directed the sessions judge in Lucknow to conduct the trial in the Babri demolition case on a daily basis, and that the judge will not be transferred. It also ruled out a fresh trial in the case.

The top court has also ordered the CBI to ensure that witnesses are produced in court everyday so that there is no delay in the Babri demolition case trial. The trial will have to be completed in two years.

However, the apex court has clarified that Kalyan Singh, being the Governor of Rajasthan, will not be tried due to constitutional immunity. It said his trial will begin after his term as governor ends.

Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh when the demolition of the masjid took place.

Others who will face criminal conspiracy charges are Vinay Katiyar, Sadhvi Ritambara, Satish Pradhan and Champat Rai Bansal. The late Giriraj Kishore, a former senior vice-president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, is also among the names in the original chargesheet.

There were two sets of cases relating to the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992.

The first involved unnamed 'karsevaks' or volunteers, the trial of which is taking place in a Lucknow court, while the second set of cases relate to the VVIPs in a Rae Bareli court.

With today's order, both these cases are merged and will be heard in Lucknow.

The order comes after the CBI had file a petition in the apex court saying 14 people, including BJP leaders, who had been acquitted of the charges under criminal conspiracy, should be tried in the Lucknow Court.