Babri Masjid case: 'CBI trying to indulge in conspiracy'

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday lashed out at the Central Bureau of Investigation after the Supreme Court asked it to explain the delay in filing an appeal against the Allahabad High Court's order for dropping the conspiracy charges in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Joshi, however, said that he would like to comment on the judgement of the apex court.

"But one thing people don't understand as to what the CBI is doing after 20 long years. Whatever they had to say, they should have told earlier. It now seems that the CBI is trying to indulge in some conspiracy. Its conspiracy is now coming to the fore and it should not do so," Joshi told media persons in New Delhi.

"This matter has been heard in Rai Bareli to some extent. A day-to-day trial is taking place; they don't bring their witnesses there. And here, they are trying to delay up this matter," he added.

The Supreme Court, which on Thursday questioned the CBI for the delay in filing an appeal against the Allahabad high court verdict on dropping conspiracy charges against senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani and others in the Babri case, also turned down its plea to file a fresh affidavit in this case.

The apex court had earlier on December 6, 2012 directed a Rae Bareily court to expeditiously hear the case against senior BJP leader LK Advani and 19 others against whom charge of criminal conspiracy was dropped by the trial court.

The bench had pulled up Additional Solicitor General for not being present in the court to argue the case for CBI, saying the law officer is taking the court 'casually'.

The CBI had in 2011 moved the apex court challenging the May 21, 2010 order of the Allahabad High Court judgement, which had upheld a special court's decision to drop the charges against senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani and 19 others. The CBI had taken more than 90 days, which was the time allotted to it to file an appeal against the HC order.

The High Court had at that time, however, allowed the CBI to proceed with other charges against Advani and others in a Rae Bareily court, under which the disputed structure falls.

The demolition of the 16th century Babri Mosque by Hindu zealots on December 6, 1992 had triggered widespread religious riots across the country.