Charges framed against Advani, 7 more in Ayodhya demolition

About 12 and a half years after the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya, charges were framed against Bhartiya Janata Party president Lal Kishenchand Advani and seven others accused in the case at a special court in Rae Bareli on Thursday.

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Special Judicial Magistrate V K Singh read out the charges against each of the accused in a packed court room and fixed August 30 for the next hearing in the matter.

All the accused including veteran BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Vinay Katiyar, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya and Sadhvi Rithambara, were present in the court with their lawyers when the charges were read out.

The judge explained the charges to the accused persons under Sections 147, 153(a), 149, 153 (B) and Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code.

All the accused pleaded 'not guilty' and claimed to be tried after which the court posted the matter for further hearing next month.

The court also directed the accused to file a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each, which was complied.

Alleging that the case was 'politically motivated', BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj, who was present outside the court room, likened it to cases against freedom fighters under the British rule.

The CBI had neither any evidence nor any witness, which could prove the charges levelled against the accused persons, she claimed.

CBI counsel P K Chaubey said that so far the court had not granted exemption to the accused persons from personal appearance and hence all of them would have to be present for the next hearing on August 30.

He claimed that a prima facie case had been made out against all the accused and the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad high court had also expressed the same view.

Chaubey said that since the accused persons had so far neither filed any bond nor surety in the matter, the CBI insisted that they should be directed to do so.

"Keeping in view the status of the accused persons we did not insist on surety and suggested that personal bond would suffice," he said. 

Thereafter, all the accused persons furnished a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each, he said.