The demolition of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, was not planned, a judge in Uttar Pradesh said today, acquitting all 32 accused including BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti of conspiracy charges in a landmark verdict.
“The accused tried to stop the demolition,” said special CBI judge SK Yadav. The judge also said the Hindu activists who tore down the 16th-century mosque were “anti-social elements”.
Reading out the 2,000-page order, CBI judge Surendra Kumar Yadav acquitted all 32 accused in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case. The court observed that the demolition was not pre-planned and evidences are not strong. While Sadhvi Ritambhara, Sakshi Maharaj, Vinay Katiyar and Champat Rai Bansal were present in court, three key accused BJP leaders skipped physical hearing, and attended through video-conferencing — Uma Bharti tested positive for coronavirus, LK Adavni and Murli Manohar Joshi have excused themselves on grounds of health and age.