M A I N   N E W S

Charges framed against Advani, others
Shahira Naim
Tribune News Service

L.K. Advani, Uma Bharti and Ashok Singhal come out of the Special Court in Rae Bareli on Thursday. — PTI photo

Rae Bareli, July 28
Thirteen years after the incident, charges were framed against eight accused, including BJP President L.K. Advani, for “abetment and inciting” karsevaks to demolish Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. The trial will begin on August 30, the next date fixed by the court today.

In the long years of litigation it was the first time that the entire eight — L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar, Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Vishnu Hari Dalmia and Sadhvi Ritambara — appeared together in person before a court of law.

When the main accused entered the court of Special Judicial Magistrate Vinod Kumar Singh at around 11.33 am charges against them under IPC Sections 147, 149, 153A and B and 505 were read out. They were also made to sign the charge sheet and furnish a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each. The entire proceeding lasted for less than an hour.

Earlier, a cavalcade headed by L.K. Advani in a silver grey Toyoto Innova arrived in the compound of the Rae Bareli court. Besides the accused, senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Kalyan Singh, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Kalraj Mishra, Lalji Tandon, Kusum Rai and Sheema Rizvi were spotted accompanying the leaders inside the court.