SC issues notice to Advani, others in Babri demolition case

CBI has challenged in SC the order of the high court, which had upheld a special court's decision to drop the charge against the leaders

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought responses from senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani and others on a plea against dropping of criminal conspiracy charge against them in the Babri mosque demolition case.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu issued notices to the BJP leader and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a separate plea filed by Haji Mahboob Ahmad, one of the petitioners in the Babri mosque case.

Ahmad, in his plea, has alleged CBI might dilute its stand in the wake of the change in the government at the Centre.

Earlier, CBI had moved the apex court against Allahabad High Court's verdict on dropping conspiracy charge against Advani and 19 others in the case.

During the brief hearing, CBI today sought time for filing a fresh affidavit on delay in filing the appeal and on the merits of the case.

The court allowed the plea of the probe agency and granted four weeks time to file the response.

The apex court had earlier pulled up CBI for the delay in filing an appeal against the Allahabad High Court verdict.

CBI has challenged in the Supreme Court the May 21, 2010 order of the high court, which had upheld a special court's decision to drop the charge against the leaders.

In its verdict, the high court had upheld the special CBI court order dropping conspiracy charge against Advani, Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar and Murli Manohar Joshi.

The others against whom the charge was dropped included Satish Pradhan, C R Bansal, Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Sadhvi Ritambhara, V H Dalmia, Mahant Avaidhynath, R V Vedanti, Param Hans Ram Chandra Das, Jagdish Muni Maharaj, B L Sharma, Nritya Gopal Das, Dharam Das, Satish Nagar and Moreshwar Save.

Bal Thackeray's name was removed from the list of accused persons after his death.