The verdict for the much waited in the Babri Masjid demolition case delivered by a special court in UP today. In the historic judgement, the court acquitted all 32 persons accused in the case. BJP leaders BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti were among the accused in the case, who have been acquitted by the court.
The court said that the demolition of the disputed structure was not pre-planned, and hence there was no conspiracy to demolish it. Special Judge SK Yadav ruled that the act of demolition of the structure by the kar sevaks was a spontaneous one, and hence acquitted the accused persons in the case. The court also said that CBI didn’t bring any substantial proof against the accused that they had planned to demolish the structure.
The Supreme Court had directed the Special Judge to complete the case by 30th September. On 16th September, the Special Judge had asked all 32 accused to be present on 30th September for the verdict.
Breaking:
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) September 30, 2020
All 32 accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case acquitted!#BabriMasjid #BabriMasjidDemolition
Advani and three others were not present
Four BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh, and Uma Bharti, were not present at the court, and attended the hearing via video conferencing. While Uma Bharti has tested positive for Covid-19 and currently getting treatment in AIIMS Rishikesh, the other three could not travel due to age and Covid-19 restrictions. The remaining accused were in the court. Among the accused, four more BJP leaders were listed that were Vinay Katiyar, Sakshi Maharaj, Lallu Singh, and BB Sharan Singh.
The judgment was on two FIRs
Two FIRs were registered for the demolition of the disputed structure in 1992. FIR 197/1992 was against the unknown karsevaks for the demolition. FIR 198/1992 was against the eight BJP leaders for instigating the demolition of the disputed structure. In April 2017, the Supreme court had allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to file charges against LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, and other leaders. The apex court also directed the trial court to conclude the case in two years. As per the court’s directions, during the said period, the judge hearing the issue was not allowed to be transferred.
The Judgment
In the 2000-page judgment, the court said that the demolition of the disputed structure was not preplanned. Special Judge Yadav noted that LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi tried to stop the mob from demolishing the structure. The court said that the Central Bureau of Investigation failed to prove the case.
BJP and VHP top leaders acquitted from the the Babri Masjid demolition case. #BabriMasjid #BabriMasjidDemolition #BabriVerdict pic.twitter.com/Aq6zZjcdNV
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) September 30, 2020
The judgment in the Ram Janmbhoomi case
In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India passed the judgment in favor of Ram Lalla Virajman and allowed Hindu parties to build Bhavya Ram Mandir on the disputed land. A trust was formed by the Indian government in February 2020 to construct Ram Mandir. In August 2020, Bhoomi Pujan took place in Ayodhya for the Ram Mandir in the presence of PM Narendra Modi, several leaders, and saints.
