Babri mosque demolition case: LK Advani, MM Joshi, Uma Bharti to stand trial for criminal conspiracy, special CBI court orders framing of charges

 Lucknow/New Delhi: BJP veterans LK Advani, MM Joshi, Union Minister Uma Bharti and nine others will stand trial for criminal conspiracy in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case.

They were on Tuesday arraigned in the case by a special CBI court which ordered framing of charges invoking criminal conspiracy provision against them.

A last-minute bid by the three leaders and nine other accused to get discharged from the case was foiled when the court rejected their plea in this regard.

All the accused were earlier given bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each.

The trial under the serious criminal conspiracy charge will commence against them after having been dropped by the trial court in 2001. The verdict was upheld by the Allahabad High Court in 2010.

The Supreme Court had ordered restoration of the conspiracy charge against them on April 19.

The charges were framed against Advani (89), Joshi (83), Bharti (58), BJP MP Vinay Katiyar (62), VHP's Vishnu Hari Dalmiya (89) and one-time Hindutva firebrand Sadhvi Rithambara (53) - all of whom appeared before the court.

The charge of conspiracy is in addition to the existing charges against them for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion for which they are already facing trial, as per PTI.

Besides the six, conspiracy charges were also framed against Ramvilas Vedanti, Baikunth Lal Sharma, Champat Rai Bansal, Mahant Nritya Gopaldas, Dharam Das and Satish Pradhan - all of whom were allegedly present when the 16th century structure in Ayodhya was pulled down on December 6, 1992.

 CBI Special Judge SK Yadav passed two orders - one for grant of bail and the other for framing of charges.

The accused are also facing charges of having made assertions "prejudicial to national integration and injuring or defiling a place of worship".

The other charges against them include indulging in "deliberate and malicious" acts intended to outrage religious feelings, uttering statements leading to public mischief, rioting and unlawful assembly.

The maximum punishment upon conviction after restoration of the conspiracy charge could be up to five years in jail or a fine or both, according to a lawyer who attended the proceedings.

Last week, counsel of the accused had moved a plea in the court to exempt Advani, Joshi and Bharti from personal appearance, but it was turned down, as per IANS.

After Advani, Joshi and Bharti failed to turn up on May 25 and 26, the special court had said no further application for an adjournment or exemption from personal appearance would be entertained.

The court had on May 26 fixed the hearing for today.

The CBI had chargesheeted 21 people in the case.

Many of them, including Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and the VHP's Acharya Giriraj Kishore, Ashok Singhal, Paramhans Ram Chandra Das and Mahant Avaidhynath, have since died.

They were all named in an FIR for allegedly instigating a mob which climbed atop the mosque and tore it down, triggering large-scale communal clashes across the country which left hundreds dead and many more wounded.

(With Agency inputs)