Conspiracy charges against Advani, Uma

Mangalore Today News Network

Lucknow, DH News, May 31 2017: Twenty-five years after the Babri Masjid was razed in Ayodhya, a special CBI court here on Tuesday framed criminal conspiracy charges against senior BJP leaders L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti.

They will now face trial under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, which, if proved, could entail a minimum of two years’ imprisonment. The court, however, granted them bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each.

“No case is made out against them...they were trying to control the crowd,” a counsel for one of the BJP leaders said in the discharge application. The court said that there was enough evidence against them for framing charges.

The lawyers representing the BJP leaders said that they could challenge the CBI court’s decision to reject their discharge application in a higher court. “We are yet to go through the order....we will take a decision on challenging the same later,” said one lawyer.

Charges were also framed against senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar, firebrand saffron leader Sadhvi Ritambhara and VHP leader Vishnu Hari Dalmiya. According to sources, Advani had refused to sign the charge sheet but was persuaded by Joshi and Uma.

The court had earlier summoned Advani and others for framing of conspiracy charges against them.

The Supreme Court had earlier restored the criminal conspiracy charge against Advani, Joshi and Uma, in the Babri Mosque demolition case and transferred the trial from the Raebareli special court to Lucknow. The trial would be held on a daily basis.