LUCKNOW, May 25:
Special CBI court, hearing the Ayodhya demolition case, today failed to frame charges against the six accused in the case and has now fixed May 30 as the fresh date for filing of the charges.
However, the court would be framing charges against six other accused including BJP leaders LK Advani, Dr MM Joshi and Union Minister Uma Bharti along with others tomorrow.
The CBI Special Court has fixed May 30 as next date for personal appearances and framing of charges against six people — Ram Vilas Vedanti, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Mahant Dharamdas, Ganpat Rai, Satish Pradhan and Baikunth Lal Sharma.
The Court in its order has said that as per the Supreme Court order, charges have to be framed against the accused within four weeks. “Since accused are not present today, charges cannot be framed. Hence, next date is May 30,” the Court said in its order.
The Special Judge, SK Yadav, said that no exemption from appearance will be allowed on May 30.
While except for Satish Pradhan, all the other five surrendered in the court and got bail on Saturday last while Pradhan surrendered yesterday.
Now as far as appearance of LK Advani, MM Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar and other remaining leaders are concerned, during tomorrow’s framing of chargesheet exemption application were yet to be moved in the Court.
Sources say most likely exemption application will be moved in the Court tomorrow. But if Advani and others do not appear in the Court tomorrow, the Court would not be able to frame the charges.
While the special CBI court had dropped conspiracy charged against the leaders in 2001, the Allahabad High Court had upheld the order in 2010.
The CBI, however, had moved the Supreme Court, which in its April 19, 2017 order, asked the CBI Court to add conspiracy charges against the accused in the trial.
After the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, two FIRs were lodged. While Crime No-197 dealt with actual “demolition of the mosque by Kar Sevaks”, crime No-198 named Advani, Joshi and 13 others Sangh Parivar leaders for inciting the mob through their speeches.
The trial on the basis of the first FIR started at the special CBI court in Lucknow, while the case against them began at a special court in Rae Bareli. Two of them — Ashok Singhal and Giriraj Kishore — died during the trial.
On April 19 last, while ordering restoration of conspiracy charges against the accused, the Supreme Court ordered that both the cases should be clubbed and a composite trial should be held at the Lucknow Court. It also asked the Court to start a day-to-day hearing and finish it within two years. (UNI)
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