Babri Masjid demolition case: CBI court rejects witnesses' plea for written arguments

New Delhi: Special CBI judge S K Yadav on Tuesday (August 25) rejected the pleas of two prosecution witnesses seeking permission to file written arguments in the Babri Masjid demolition case. The special CBI court in Lucknow held that they were not victims in the case. 

As many as 32 accused persons including BJP stalwarts LK Advani, Kalyan Singh, and Uma Bharti are facing the trial in the case pertaining to the demolition of the 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya in December 1992. 

The Special CBI judge held that Hazi Mahmood Ahmad and Sayyed Akhlakh Ahmad were not victims in the case. They were examined by the central probe agency as prosecution witnesses. 

The trial court has scheduled for Wednesday the filing of the written arguments of the defence in the case. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has already filed its 400-page written arguments and trial in the case is on the verge of conclusion. 

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court extended till September 30 the deadline for the trial proceedings from August 31 earlier. 

On July July 19, 2019, the apex court had extended the time frame for completing the criminal trial in the case by six months. It had also set a deadline of nine months for the final order. The deadline expired on April 19 this year and the special court had sought an extension.

The top court issued a new deadline of August 31 with instructions to deliver the judgment by then. The special judge was directed by the SC on April 19, 2017, to conduct a day-to-day trial.