In his verdict, CBI court judge SK Yadav also agreed with the defense that the structure was demolished by criminals who defied the directive of the BJP and VHP leaders meeting at Ram Katha Kunj to restrict themselves to symbolic kar seva. in the vicinity of the now demolished mosque. .
Significantly, the judge took into account intelligence inputs from local and central agencies on the possible presence of subversives, some backed by Pakistani agencies and others from Jammu and Kashmir, in Ayodhya.
The long-awaited verdict was held by Advani, Joshi and others as a validation of their position that the demolition of the structure was not part of any premeditated plan, but it did cause disappointment among Muslims.
Absolution comes from the Supreme Court verdict awarding the disputed site of Ayodhya to Hindus for the construction of Ram Mandir, which generated unrest among sectors of Muslims. The second victory for the Hindutva side may increase the unrest.
Prominent Sunni clergyman and AIMPLB member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali He said that everyone knows how “Babri Masjid was demolished in public view” and “the law of the land was shattered.”
However, BJP, VHP and others were jubilant by what they saw as the second consecutive judicial imprimatur on their position on Ayodhya amid the absence of any indication that the CBI might move the higher court.
When asked, CBI’s lawyer Lalit Singh said that a copy of the judgment would be sent to the agency’s headquarters in Delhi, which would make a further decision. BJP has maintained that the destruction of the mosque was not premeditated. VHP and others have attributed the events of the fateful day 28 years ago to the spontaneous outburst of repressed feelings by Hindus.
Just when the defendants were acquitted, some of them inside the court chanted loudly “Jai Shri Ram” in the presence of the judge.
However, Shiv Sena has been a defiant exception and even claimed responsibility for the demolition. Not surprisingly, unlike Congress, its coalition partner in Maharashtra welcomed the outcome.
The conspiracy charge against Advani had been dropped by the Allahabad High Court in 2001, but was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 2017.
In the long-awaited hearing, the judge took his chair in the courtroom at 12:10 p.m. and in five minutes read the operative part of the sentence, pronouncing the acquittal of all the accused. The judge had retired on September 30, 2019, but the Supreme Court had extended his term of service until sentencing. The judge did not accept the newspapers as evidence, as the original sources for the newspapers were not produced or proven. He also did not rely on photos of the incidents, as his negatives were not produced. “The videotapes were not sealed and even the videos were unclear and as such cannot be trusted,” observed the judge.
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