Babri Demolition Case : Special Judge Seeks More Time To Conclude Trial Against Advani, Joshi Etc.

The Supreme Court on Monday considered the request made by the Special Judge, Lucknow CBI Court for six more months to conclude the trial of criminal conspiracy charges in Babri Masjid demolition case, involving BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi, Uma Bharati and others.

The Special Judge, in a letter written in May, has informed the top court that he is due to superannuate on September 30, 2019.

The matter came up for hearing on Monday before a bench headed by Justice R F Nariman, which asked the Uttar Pradesh government to apprise it by July 19 about a mechanism by which the tenure of the special judge could be extended till he delivered the verdict in the high profile case.

On April 19, 2017, the Supreme Court bench of Justices P C Ghose and R F Nariman had restored the conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharati and 13 other BJP leaders by allowing an appeal filed by the CBI against the discharge given by the Allahabad High Court to the accused.

Invoking its extraordinary constitutional powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the bench also transferred the pending separate trial in a Rae Bareilly Magistrate court and clubbed it with criminal proceedings in the Lucknow CBI Court.

The top court further ordered day-to-day trial to be concluded in two years in the case.

The bench said one of the accused Kalyan Singh will obtain constitutional immunity being the Governor of Rajasthan but as soon as he relinquishes office, additional charges shall be filed against him.

(With PTI inputs)