The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking review of its verdict allowing trial of cases relating to the demolition of disputed structure at Ayodhya before two separate courts at Rae Bareli and Lucknow.
A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan held that there was no need to review the November 2002 judgment by which it had upheld the validity of the notification issued by the Uttar Pradesh government on September 28, 2002 for holding the trial of the cases at two different places regarding the demolition of the disputed structure.
The Rae Bareli court is holding trial against eight prominent accused including senior BJP leaders L K Advani, M M Joshi and Vinay Katiyar, expelled BJP leader Uma Bharti, VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Giriraj Kishore and Sadhwi Rithambhara.
The Rae Bareli court had in September 2003 quashed the charges against Advani while deciding to proceed against other seven persons.
However, the Allahabad high court later set aside the trial court order and directed it to proceed against all the eight accused.
Mohammed Aslam alias Bhure, who had also approached the apex court before the demolition of the disputed structure, had sought review of the November 2002 verdict clearing the holding of trial of two cases at two separate courts at Rae Bareli and Lucknow.
Two cases were registered in connection with the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
CBI had taken a stand that since the two cases arise from the same incident and a consolidated charge sheet having been filed, it would be in the interest of justice that both cases be tried together at Lucknow.
In the first FIR, 39 people were named as accused, the trial of which was being held in a Lucknow court.
The case relating to second FIR, having the names of eight VVIPs as accused, was being tried at Rae Bareli court.