HC to hear plea in Babri Masjid demolition case against acquittal

Lucknow, July 18: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court will hear the petition challenging the acquittal of Babri Masjid demolition accused, including L. K. Advani, Uma Bharti, Champat Rai, Vinay Katiyar, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Sadhvi Ritambhara and other senior BJP and RSS leaders on Monday afternoon.

The petition was filed by Haji Mahboob and Sayyad Akhlaq of Ayodhya on January 8, 2021 - the two CBI witnesses who saw the Babri Masjid demolition as their houses were next to the mosque.

Their houses were attacked by the kar sewaks and burned down after the demolition on December 6, 1992.

The special CBI court of Lucknow had acquitted all the Babri Masjid demolition accused on October 1, 2020.

Hundred days after the acquittal, a revision petition was filed in the High Court against the CBI court judgment.

The Babri Masjid demolition case was lodged on December 6, 1992, with 1,026 witnesses and 48 accused listed during the trial.

Among the accused, 16 died during the trial.

Prominent among those who died during the trial include Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, former head of Gorakhnath Mutt, Mahant Avaidyanath, ex-Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief Vishnu Hari Dalmia and former head of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas in Ayodhya, Mahant Ramchandra Das Paramhans and VHP leader Ashok Singhal.