NEWSLINKS US EDITION COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
The special Central Bureau of Investigation court Tuesday fixed March 29 for giving a verdict on the application of Union Home Minister L K Advani for discharge in the eight-year-old Babri Masjid demolition case.
With arguments put out by CBI counsel P K Chaube remaining inconclusive, special additional district and sessions judge S K Shukla, deferred his verdict for the end of this month .
Earlier, Chaube pressed for the prosecution of each of the 49 accused in the mosque demolition case. Vehemently opposing the plea moved on behalf of Advani and others, he argued that the recent high court order did not in any way drop the criminal case against Advani and others.
According to Chaube, "Since there was one consolidated charge-sheet covering all the 49 accused persons, cases against any group of persons out of these cannot be dropped."
Chaube also pointed out that since the high court had clearly upheld the charge-sheets, the question of letting them off did not arise.
The verdict passed by Justice Jagdish Bhalla on February 12 invalidated the notification of October 8, 1993, whereby the government had sought to amend its earlier notification of September 9, 1993, to add the names of Advani and seven others for purposes of trial by the special court constituted through the earlier notification.
It was on that basis that Advani and seven other BJP and VHP leaders had sought discharge from the case, through an application moved before the special CBI court on Monday.
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report