CBI moves SC to revive Babri charges against Advani

The CBI has moved the Supreme Court against an Allahabad High Court order approving the dropping of criminal conspiracy charges against 21 BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders - including LK Advani, MM Joshi and Ashok Singhal - in the 1992 Babri demolition case.

The CBI has moved the Supreme Court against an Allahabad High Court order approving the dropping of criminal conspiracy charges against 21 BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders - including LK Advani, MM Joshi and Ashok Singhal - in the 1992 Babri demolition case.

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On May 20, 2010, the high court had dismissed the CBI's petition against a May 4, 2001 order of a Lucknow special judge refusing to revive criminal conspiracy charges against top BJP and Parivar leaders.

Terming the 2010 order "untenable", the CBI contended that the special court was not of competent jurisdiction as it wasn't constituted in consultation with the HC, as required by law.

Maintaining that the HC did not come to the right conclusion, the agency submitted that the charges be restored against the accused.

Those who benefitted from the HC order included Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh, Giriraj Kishore, Vinay Katiyar, Sadhvi Rithambara and Bal Thackeray.

All the 21 were charged with promoting enmity between classes; imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration and making false statements with the intent to cause mutiny or disturb public peace.