Govt may widen CBI probe to net more

The government may use the Liberhan Commission report to expand the ambit of the ongoing CBI probe into the demolition of the Babri mosque.

The government may use the Liberhan Commission report to expand the ambit of the ongoing CBI probe into the demolition of the Babri mosque.

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The agency is already looking into demolition-related cases, which are at different stages of trial.

Though the Centre hasn’t revealed its mind, the ruling Congress has said that supplementary chargesheets will be filed against those named in the report, but not in any FIR.

Referring the matter to a special task force or the National Investigation Agency has been ruled out as it does not fit into their mandate.

With the CBI already probing the issue, it is considered natural that it’ll also look into any fresh evidence.

The Liberhan report will be debated in the Lok Sabha on December 1 and in the Rajya Sabha the next day. There is no word so far whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will intervene or Amethi Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi — who once said the Babri Masjid would not have been demolished if a Gandhi was leading the government — participate in the debate.

Reacting to a query on BJP leader A.B. Vajpayee, Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said the government will see which portions of the report need to be proceeded with.