Ayodhya trial: Advani, others get last chance to appear before the court

The Special CBI Court hearing the Ayodhya demolition case had failed to frame charges against the BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Union Minister Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Ritambhara and VHP leader Vishnu Hari Dalmia on May 26 as they failed to appear before the Court.

The Court had given these leaders a last chance directing them to appear in the Court on May 30 along with six other accused.

During the last hearing on May 26, the counsels of Advani and others had moved application of the six accused praying permission for their absence.

The CBI Special Court has now fixed tomorrow as final date for personal appearance and framing of charge against 12  people - BJP leaders LK Advani, Dr MM Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Union Minister Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Ritambhara and VHP leader Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Ram Vilas Vedanti, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Mahant Dharamdas, Champat Rai, Satish Pradhan and Baikunth Lal Sharma.

The Court in its order has said that as per the Supreme Court order, charges have to be framed against the accused within four weeks.

Special Judge Surendra Kumar Yadav had on May 26 sternly said that no exemption from appearance would be allowed after May 30.

The Court will only add section 120 (B) in the chargesheet of Advani, Joshi, Uma and two others, against whom trial was earlier underway in Rae Bareli.

In case of other six accused, the Court will frame charges under sections 153, 153(A),295,295(A) and 505 of the IPC.

While the Special CBI Court had dropped conspiracy charged against the leaders in 2001, the Allahabad High Court had upheld the order in 2010.

The CBI, however, moved the Supreme Court which in its April 19, 2017 order, asked the CBI Court to add conspiracy charges against the accused in the trial.

After the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, two FIRs were lodged. While Crime No. 197 dealt with actual "demolition of the mosque by the Kar Sevaks", crime No 198 named Advani, Joshi and 13 others Sangh Parivar leaders for inciting the mob through their speeches.

The trial on the basis of the first FIR started at the special CBI Court in Lucknow, while the case against them began at a Special Court in Rae Bareli. Two of them - Ashok Singhal and Giriraj Kishore - died during the trial.

On April 19, last, while ordering restoration of conspiracy charges against the accused, the Supreme Court had ordered that both the cases should be clubbed and a composite trial should be held at the Lucknow Court. It also asked the Court to start a day-to-day hearing and finish it within two years.