Almost 28 years after the Babri Masjid was demolished, Special CBI judge Surendra Kumar Yadav in a special court in Lucknow on Wednesday in his verdict acquitted all the accused stating that the demolition was not pre-planned and that it happened at the spur of the moment.
The key accused include former deputy prime minister LK Advani, former Union ministers MM Joshi and Uma Bharti, and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh. Most of the senior leaders among the 32 accused such as LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were not present in the Lucknow court when the judge started the proceedings amid high-security measures.
There is not enough evidence against the accused, the special CBI judge said in the hearing.
The leaders present at the site during the demolition were trying to stop the mob and not incite them. Stones pelting started from behind the disputed structure. Ashok Singhal wanted to keep the structure safe because it had statues of Hindu deities, Judge SK Yadav added.
On December 6, 1992, the Babri Masjid was put to the ground by a large group of Kar Sevaks who were of the beliefs that the mosque was built on a site which is the birthplace of Lord Ram.
The VHP and the BJP organised a rally at the site involving 150,000 volunteers, known as kar sevaks. The rally turned violent, and the crowd overwhelmed security forces and tore down the mosque.
The demolition resulted in communal clashes all over the country. More than 500 people were counted dead within three days of the demolition of Babri Masjid in December 1992. In Assam, there were reports of people being burnt alive. Other states like MP, Rajasthan, Karnataka and UP showed double-digit casualty figures.
As a result of the unlawful act of demolition of the then standing Babri Masjid, two separate FIRs- 197/1992 and 198/1992 were filed. FIR 197 was against unnamed Karsevaks for the demolition of the structure while FIR 198 was against eight BJP leaders for instigating the demolition of the structure.
