Babri Masjid Case to Be Heard by Special CBI Court on 24 May

The Babri Masjid in early 1900s. (Photo Courtesy: The British Library Board)

A special CBI court has set 24 May as the next date of hearing in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.

The court postponed Monday’s hearing as Satish Pradhan, one of the six accused, did not appear before it.

On 20 May, the special CBI court began day-to-day hearings in the politically sensitive case and granted bail to five VHP leaders accused in the case.

The Supreme Court had on 19 April directed the special court to start proceedings in the matter within a month and deliver its verdict within two years.

The CBI court had earlier issued summons to six accused persons, of whom five including Ram Vilas Vedanti, 59, appeared in the court and sought bail.

Special CBI court judge SK Yadav allowed their bail plea, asking each of them to furnish two sureties of Rs 20,000 each and a personal bond of the same amount.

Besides Vedanti, those who appeared in the CBI court on Saturday were VHP leaders Champat Rai,71; Baikunth Lal Sharma, 88; Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, 79; and Dharmdas Maharaj, 68.

Pradhan, the sixth accused, did not appear on that day either.

The Supreme Court had last month directed that senior BJP leaders, including LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Uma Bharti, will face trial on conspiracy charges in the Ayodhya case.