Babri masjid demolition case: Timeline of events unfolded from 1949-2020

NEW DELHI: A special CBI court hearing the Babri mosque demolition case will pronounce its judgment on September 30. Judge SK Yadav has directed all accused to remain present when a special court delivers judgement in the demolition case. Prominent among the 32 accused are former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and BJP leaders MM Joshi, Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar and Sadhvi Rithambara.

The CBI produced 351 witnesses and almost 600 documentary evidence before the court in the mosque demolition case. 

According to Babri mosque inscriptions, it was built in 1528–29. by general Mir Baqi, on the orders of the Mughal Emperor Babur. According to Hindus, Baqi destroyed a pre-existing temple of Rama at the site. The existence of this temple is a matter of controversy.

In 1949, Hindu activists associated with the Hindu Mahasabha surreptitiously placed idols of Rama inside the mosque, after which the government locked the building to avoid further disputes. Court cases were filed by both Hindus and Muslims asking for access. The police locked the gates so that the public (Hindus as well as Muslims) could not enter.

December 16, 1992: 

The mosque in Ayodhya was pulled down in 1992 by kar sevaks. Soon after this, two FIRs were registered over the incident. While one was against the thousands of unnamed kar sevaks who had allegedly indulged in robbery as well as defiling a place of worship and promoting enmity. The second was against eight political leaders. As per the FIR, they had given hate speeches that incited the mob.

October 5, 1993: CBI files consolidated chargesheet. A few days later, the Uttar Pradesh government issues a notification stating that the two FIRs would be tried together.

October 24, 1994: Supreme Court observes in the historic Ismail Faruqui case that mosque was not integral to Islam.

2002: Allahabad High Court begins hearing on determining who owns the disputed site of worship. 

2003: The CBI files a supplementary chargesheet against the eight accused in one of the FIRs. Advani discharged owing to a lack of evidence. The same year, the Supreme Court says no religious activity of any nature be allowed at the acquired land.

June 30, 2009: The Liberhan Commission submits its report before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

November 24, 2009: Liberhan Report tabled in Parliament by Home Minister P Chidambaram.

September 30, 2010: The Allahabad High Court rules a three-way division of disputed area between Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

May 9, 2011: Supreme Court stays High Court verdict on Ayodhya land dispute.

March, 20, 2012: After approaching the Supreme Court in 2011, the CBI filed an affidavit the next year, again seeking a common trial for all the cases.

2015: The Supreme Court issues a notice to senior BJP leaders seeking a response to the CBI's plea that criminal conspiracy charges not be dropped. This included LK Advani, Uma Bharati, Murli Manohar Joshi and Kalyan Singh.

March 21, 2017: CJI JS Khehar suggests out-of-court settlement among rival parties.

April 19, 2017: Supreme Court says BJP stalwarts Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharti would be prosecuted for serious offence of criminal conspiracy in the case and orders day-to-day trial to be concluded in two years, that is April 19, 2019. All the cases were also clubbed together.

November 2020: UP Shia Central Waqf Board tells SC temple can be built in Ayodhya and mosque in Lucknow.

July 2019: Deadline extended by nine months, and Supreme Court extends the tenure of a judge on the case.

Nov 2019: Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Hindu side, paving the way for the construction of a Ram temple by a Trust at the disputed site. It directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a prominent place in Ayodhya.

Feb 2020: UP Sunni Central Waqf Board accepts the five acres allotted to it by the state government for building a mosque in Dhannipur village in Sohawal tehsil of Ayodhya.

July 24, 2020: BJP veteran L K Advani records his statement before the court through video conferencing, denying any involvement in the conspiracy to demolish the mosque. He pleaded that he was unnecessarily dragged in the case, claiming that the investigation was conducted under political pressure and the charge sheet was based on fabricated evidence.

August 22, 2020: Supreme Court extends the deadline for completion of trial by a month.

September 1, 2020: The final arguments by the defence and the prosecution were heard, and then the judge began writing the verdict.

September 30, 2020: Supreme Court to pronounce its verdict in the Babri mosque demolition case.