Supreme Court sets August 31 deadline for Babri order

On Friday, the Apex Court extended by 3 months the deadline to deliver the verdict in the criminal trial against LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi & Uma Bharti over the demolition of the Babri Masjid, as it asked special judge SK Yadav to pronounce the judgment by Aug 31.

The Supreme Court asked the special Judge to make use of video-conferencing facilities to ensure that the recording of evidence was completed & there was no inordinate delay in concluding the trial.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are on trial for the 1992 demolition of the mosque in UP’s Ayodhya. They have been charged for various offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including promoting enmity between religious groups, making statements affecting national integration or which are likely to cause public mischief.

“We may indicate that video conferencing facilities are available & should be used by Shri Yadav in order to complete all evidence… We extend the period to complete evidence & deliver judgment till 31st Aug, 2020,” the bench headed by Justice Rohinton Nariman said after the Special Judge wrote to the Court on May 6, stating that recording of evidence was yet to be completed.

This will be the 3rd time the Cis setting a deadline for completion of trial in the 27-year-old case. In April 2017, the Top Court ordered that additional charge of criminal conspiracy under section 120B of IPC be framed against the accused leaders. BJP leader Kalyan Singh, who was the CM of UP when the Babri Masjid was demolished & who is one of the accused in the case, was given immunity by the top court under Article 361 of the Constitution as he is currently the governor of Rajasthan. The Supreme Court had also ordered the Special Court to complete the trial within 2 years.

Subsequently, the Court took up the matter in July 2019 & extended the deadline for completion of the trial & delivery of the verdict by 9 months. The deadline expired on April 19 & the special judge wrote to the Supreme Court on May 6, seeking an extension.

On Friday, Supreme Court heard the matter said that “We are cognizant of the fact that Shri Yadav is making all efforts in order that the trial reach a just conclusion. However, given the original time frame & the extended time frame, the effort must now be to complete the proceedings & deliver judgment latest by 31st August, 2020".

On Nov 9, 2019, the Apex court, in its landmark verdict decided the title suit on the disputed site at Ayodhya in favour of the Hindu parties, while also acknowledging that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was a “calculated act.”

The Nov 9 Judgement said that “During the pendency of the suits, the entire structure of the mosque was brought down in a calculated act of destroying a place of public worship. The Muslims have been wrongly deprived of a mosque which had been constructed well over 450 years ago".

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