Conspiracy charges framed against LK Advani, MM Joshi, Uma Bharti and others in the Babri demolition case

Charges were framed on Tuesday against BJP veterans L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Union Minister Uma Bharti and nine others for criminal conspiracy under section 120B in connection with the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. LK Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar, Sadhvi Ritambhara, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya appeared in a special CBI court in Lucknow and were granted bail on furnishing personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each. Satish Pradhan was granted bail on May 25, while the other five accused were granted bail on May 20 on a personal bond of Rs 20,000 each.

Vimal Srivastava, one of the lawyers for the accused leaders, said in the discharge application submitted before the court that “there was no material against them to constitute an offence under Section 120B.”

Charges filed: 

The 12 accused, who had been named in the FIR filed after the demolition of Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, were allegedly involved in:

• Instigating the mob
• Conspiring to raze the mosque

They gathered at the VVIP guest house in Lucknow before heading to the court together. BJP leaders such as Sakshi Maharaj and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also visited the guest house to meet them. 

Back in 2001, a CBI court had dropped the conspiracy charges against the 12, with the Allahabad High Court upholding the judgment in 2010.

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Supreme Court revives conspiracy charges: 

On April 19, 2017, Supreme Court revived the conspiracy charges and directed the special CBI court to frame charges within a month. It also directed that the court hear the case on a day-to-day basis and complete the hearing within two years.

Union Minister of Law and Justice P. P. Choudhary said that this is not the end of the road for the accused. “Further legal remedies are available and our leaders will come out of this clean,” he said.