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Orders reserved in Ayodhya case
Our Correspondent

Lucknow, September 3
A special CBI court in Rae Bareli has reserved its judgement till September 12 on formal framing of charges against Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani and others, including Union HRD Minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, in the Babri mosque demolition case, official source said here today.

“The special CBI Judge V.K. Singh has reserved his order and would deliver judgement in this case on September 12,” court official told reporters in Rae Bareli, 80 km south of Lucknow.

Mr Advani, Mr Joshi, Ms Uma Bharati, Mr Vinay Katiyar and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders Ashok Singhal and Sadhvi Ritambara were among eight senior leaders charged with inciting kar sewaks leading to the demolition of the mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

The Judge ordered that as both parties had completed their arguments in this case on August 27 he needed more time to deliver the judgement.

The CBI and the defence counsels readily agreed with the judge’s order. Mr Mridul Rakesh told The Tribune on telephone that it was expected that the judge would take some time before delivering the judgement in this high-profile case.

Mr Aslam Bhure had moved the Supreme Court demanding that the case should be shifted out of Rae Bareli considering its sensitive nature and also because senior leaders, including Mr Advani, were involved in it.

The Supreme Court had yesterday ordered that the case should continue in the Rae Bareli court.

The defence counsel had argued that that there was no video or audio proof to suggest that the suspects had incited people to demolish the mosque. But two Shiv Sena leaders, who are being charged with the demolition of the mosque, had told reporters that they had deposed before the court that they were asked to demolish the mosque by senior leaders, including Mr Advani.