The Supreme Court is likely to hear on Thursday if it should revive conspiracy charges against senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh and others in connection with the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.
If the apex court orders for a joint trial, it would mean that Advani and other leaders will be tried for participating in a criminal conspiracy that led to the demolition of the Babri mosque, along with charges on instigating a crowd through provocative speeches.
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SC had asked all parties to file their response in the matter earlier this week, saying that it will hear the case after two weeks.
There are two cases related to the demolition — the first is against BJP veteran leader Advani and others, who were on the dais at Ram Katha Kunj in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 when the Babri mosque was demolished. The other case is against lakhs of ‘karsevaks’ (volunteers) who were in and around the disputed structure.
The CBI had chargesheeted Advani and 20 others under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between classes), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (false statements, rumours etc. circulated with the intent to cause mutiny or disturb public peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
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It had subsequently invoked charges under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, which was quashed by the special court whose decision was upheld by the high court.