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India: All 32 accused in Babri Mosque demolition case acquitted

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BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, September 30:

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh state on Wednesday acquitted all 32 accused in the Babri Mosque demolition case almost 28 years after a mob razed the 16th century structure in Ayodhya.

The accused faced charges like criminal conspiracy, rioting, promoting enmity between different groups, and unlawful assembly.

The demolition triggered some of the deadliest riots since the partition riots in 1947 that left about 2,000 dead. The acquitted included veteran Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Lal Krishna Advani (92), and Murli Manohar Joshi (86).

CBI Judge Surendra Kumar Yadav ordered the acquittal by citing a lack of evidence. He said the probe agency could not prove the authenticity of the audio and video evidence submitted. He said the demolition was not pre-planned and the accused tried to stop “anti-social” elements who razed the mosque.

Former Union minister Uma Bharti, and Kalyan Singh, who was Uttar Pradesh chief minister at the time of the demolition, are among other accused acquitted in the case. They have tested positive for Covid-19 and are hospitalised, and could not attend the court proceedings on Wednesday. Singh’s government was dismissed over the demolition.

Sadhvi Rithambhara, Lallu Singh, Pawan Pandey, Vinay Katiyar, and Champat Rai were among the accused present in the CBI court.

The verdict came months after the Supreme Court in November 2019 ruled in favour of building a temple at the 2.77-acre site in Ayodhya, where the mosque once stood. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attended a ceremony to mark the beginning of the temple construction in August.

Security was heightened on the court premises. No one except the defence, CBI lawyers, and the accused were allowed inside the courtroom. Entry was permitted through only one gate and barricades were put on nearby roads to restrict traffic.

Supporters of the accused were stopped at the barricades as they started arriving at the court. Journalists were denied access to the court building, and most of the shops in the vicinity remained closed.

The CBI took over the demolition case a week after the mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992. Two simultaneous criminal trials in Lucknow and Rae Bareli were conducted until the Supreme Court shifted all cases to Lucknow in 2017. The top court in July last year extended the timeframe for completing the criminal trial by six months and also set a deadline of nine months for the final order.

The nine-month deadline expired on April 19. The Supreme Court on May 8 set the new deadline of August 31 for the judgment. In August, it again extended the deadline till September 30.

CBI produced 351 witnesses and 600 documents as evidence during the course of the trial and the special court framed charges against 49 accused. Seventeen of the accused died during the course of the trial.

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani welcomed the judgement by the special CBI court which acquitted him and 31 other accused in the Babri mosque demolition case.

“I wholeheartedly welcome the judgement. The judgement vindicates my personal and BJP’s belief and commitment toward the Ram Janmabhoomi movement,” Advani said after the verdict by the court in Lucknow.

He, along with another accused Murli Manohar Joshi, participated in the proceedings through video conferencing. “It’s a historic decision by the court. This proves that no conspiracy was hatched for the December 6 incident in Ayodhya. Our programme and rallies were not part of any conspiracy. We are happy, everyone should now be excited about Ram Mandir’s construction,” said Joshi.

The CBI, which went into the case, produced 351 witnesses and 600 documents as evidence before the court. Charges were framed against 48 people, but 16 had died during the course of the trial. Over two dozen of 32 accused were present

The verdict given by the special CBI court in the Babri demolition case has been hailed by many political leaders and Union ministers. Defence minister Rajnath Singh took the lead in congratulating the 32 who were acquitted.

However, the opposition Congress Party said the verdict runs counter to the 2019 Supreme Court judgment as also the “Constitutional spirit”. The party asked the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments to file an appeal against the decision of the special court.

“Every Indian, who has innate faith in the Constitution as also in the spirit of communal amity and brotherhood, expects and urges the Central and State Governments to file an appeal against the decision of the Special Court founded in error and follow the letter of the law and the Constitution, without any partiality and pre-meditated prejudice. This is the true calling of rule of law and our Constitution,” he added.



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Southern Expressway land leased to Rajapaksa allies for Rs. 10,000 – Minister

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Bimal Rathnayake

Leader of the House and Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake told Parliament yesterday that a service area on the Southern Expressway had been leased for 99 years to individuals linked to the Rajapaksa family for just Rs. 10,000.

Responding to questions raised by Opposition MPs Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Ajith P. Perera, Minister Rathnayake also claimed that the Rajapaksa associates had obstructed the construction of several other approved service areas along the expressway.

He said that the Southern Expressway project suffered from serious irregularities, including deviations from feasibility studies, which he said led to the wastage of billions of rupees.

Highlighting specific discrepancies, the Minister pointed to the construction of two interchanges that were not part of the original expressway blueprint.

“One is at Kapuduwa, just 5 km from Godagama in Matara, serving only traffic to and from Colombo. The other is at Bedigama, 6 km from Beliatta,” he said, adding that each interchange cost over Rs. 10 million to build.

By Saman Indrajith

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Hike in bus fares if Israel-Iran conflict results in higher fuel prices

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Gemunu

A hike in private bus fares could be on the cards next month if global fuel prices continue to climb as a result of the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, according to Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) President, Gemunu Wijeratne.

Wijeratne told The Island yesterday (20), that the annual bus fare revision, scheduled for the 1st of next month, could lead to a revision in fares, should fuel prices in the global market remain on an upward trajectory.

He said that while fuel prices are already high due to the prevailing geopolitical tensions, the Association is cautious about pushing for a fare increase immediately, warning that such a move could adversely affect the industry in the current economic climate.

However, Wijeratne emphasised that if international fuel prices stabilise and remain at their present levels, a fare hike may not be necessary.

“The situation is being closely monitored. We hope that the global market stabilises, but if fuel prices continue to rise, we will have no choice but to adjust fares accordingly,” he added.

By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon ✍️

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Committee probing alleged abuse of power by IGP approves inclusion of two additional witnesses, currently abroad

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The Committee of Inquiry investigating allegations of gross abuse of power by IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon convened for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, under the Chairmanship of Supreme Court Justice Preethi Padman Surasena. The Committee also includes Justice W.M.N.P. Iddawala and E.W.M. Lalith Ekanayake, Chairman of the National Police Commission, the Parliament Media Division said.

It said that as of Thursday, 28 prosecution witnesses have testified before the Committee, including seven on that day (Thursday).

The Committee has also approved the inclusion of two additional witnesses, currently abroad on official duty, to testify after their return to the country on 26 June. This request was submitted by Additional Solicitor General and President’s Counsel Dileepa Peiris, and Deputy Solicitor General Rajitha Perera, representing the Attorney General’s Department.

Attorney-at-Law R.S. Weerawikrama, appearing on behalf of IGP Tennakoon, gave his consent for the two witnesses to be summoned for examination and cross-examination upon their return. The Committee granted the request.

Although initially scheduled to reconvene yesterday (20), proceedings have been postponed to Monday, 23 June, following a request by Weerawikrama to allow additional time to prepare the IGP’s defence. With the Attorney General’s Department not objecting, the Committee approved the postponement.

The next sessions will be held from 23 to 25 June, commencing at 9:30 a.m. daily. During this period, 15 witnesses are expected to testify on behalf of the Respondent IGP.The Committee will reconvene again at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, 26June, following the conclusion of the defense’s witness testimonies.

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