The CBI finally has left it to the Supreme Court to decide whether the charge of “criminal conspiracy” could be added in the Babri Masjid demolition case against the top leaders of the BJP and Sangh Parivar, including L.K. Advani, M.M. Joshi and Uma Bharti after almost 20 years of the incident.
Since none of the two cases pending before the special courts at Lucknow and Rai Barely contained the charge of criminal conspiracy, the CBI in a recent affidavit to the SC has sought to include names of 10 BJP and Sangh leaders in the Lucknow case, in which only names of 47 “karsevaks” had figured.
Names of Mr Advani, Mr Joshi, Ms Bharti, Vinay Katiyar and other BJP and Sangh leaders did not figure in the FIR and chargesheet before the Lucknow court as they are facing trial in the Rai Barely court. If the CBI succeeds in getting the SC nod, the agency will have to file a supplementary chargesheet in the Lucknow court, which apparently will include charge of criminal conspiracy under 120B.