Advani, Thackeray, 47 others charged in Ayodhya case
Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow
The Central Bureau of Investigation has framed charges against 49 people in the specials sessions court dealing with the demolition of the 16th century Babri mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
Among those who have been asked to make a personal appearance on October 17 are Bharatiya Janata Party president Lal Kishinchand Advani, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, former Union home minister Murli Manohar Joshi, UP's chief minister-in-waiting Kalyan Singh, BJP vice-president Vijaye Raje Scindia, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders Ashok Singhal, Vishnu Hari Dalmia and Giri Raj Kishore, Bajrang Dal leader Vinay Katiyar, BJP MP Uma Bharti and Sadhvi Rithambara. Over a dozen of those charged are members of Parliament
Political circles speculate whether the charges against Kalyan Singh could jeopardise his chances to become Uttar Pradesh chief minister on September 21, when incumbent Mayawati steps down and a transfer of power from the BJP to the Bahujan Samaj Party takes place.
The accused in the Ayodhya demolition case have been primarily charged with conspiring to destroy the mosque. Some of them have also been accused of rioting, dacoity, promoting enemity, defiling a place of worship, voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from carrying out his duty and causing grievous hurt.
The court also found prima facie evidence against then district magistrate R N Srivastava and then senior superintendent of police Devendra Bahadur Roy for causing the disappearance of evidence and giving false information to screen offenders.
The framing of charges were delayed largely because judges presiding over the case were frequently transferred, the chair once remaining vacant for eight months.
The court examined over 700 witnesses and the CBI filed chargesheets in two stages. Chargesheets were first filed against 40 people on October 5, 1993. A supplementary chargesheet was issued against the remaining accused on January 11, 1996.
The court was empty except for the prosecutors and the investigating officers when Judge Jagdish Prasad Srivastava came in. The judge waited for 30 minutes before reading his 48-page order in Hindi.
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