Court reserves order in Babri demolition case

The defence lawyers contended that the CBI was merely an investigating agency and had no power to prosecute.

The Special court hearing the Babri Masjid demolition case against senior BJP leaders LK Advani and MM Joshi and six others on Wednesday reserved its order on the defence plea challenging the CBI's right to prosecute in the matter.

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Chief Judicial Magistrate Gyanesh Kumar reserved his order till July 18 after hearing the counsel of the defence and the CBI.

The defence lawyers contended that the CBI was merely an investigating agency and had no power to prosecute.

The agency's counsel opposed the defence contention saying that the CBI had prosecuted in several matters in the past and was still doing so in many cases.

Besides Advani and Joshi, the other accused are VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya and Sadhvi Ritambhara, BJP general secretary Vinay Katiyar and expelled party leader Uma Bharti.