The Supreme Court on Tuesday admitted a fresh petition in the Babri Masjid demolition case, challenging the CBI’s decision to drop charges of criminal conspiracy against 19 prominent people including BJP leaders lK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.
The Bench, headed by Chief Justice Hl Dattu, issued a notice to Advani, Joshi and 17 others on the plea of Haji Mahboob Ahmed, who is one of the petitioners in the civil suit pending before the Uttar Pradesh court. Ahmad sought setting aside of the High Court’s order of May 20, 2010, dropping Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) under the IPC. The responses have to be filed in four weeks.
Besides Advani and Joshi, the accused include Union Minister Uma Bharti, Himachal Pradesh Governor Kalyan Singh, Vinay Katiyar, VHP leader Ashok Singhal, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya among others. Presently, these accused are being tried separately in a court at Rae Bareilly while the case relating to other kar sevaks with regard to December 6, 1992 demolition of Babri mosque is pending at lucknow.