A SPECIAL judge holding daily trial in the politically sensitive 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case, involving BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi, Uma Bharti and others, moved the Supreme Court on Monday seeking six more months to conclude the matter. The judge, at Lucknow, has informed the top court in a May 25 letter that he is due to superannuate on September 30, 2019.

 

 

Besides Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharti, the accused against whom the conspiracy charge was invoked on April 19, 2017 by the apex court included former BJP MP Vinay Katiar and Sadhvi Ritambara. Three other high-profile accused have died. The top court had held that Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh, during whose tenure as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh the disputed structure was razed, is entitled to immunity under the Constitution as long as he remained in gubernatorial position. The top court on Monday sought assistance of the Uttar Pradesh Government to devise a mechanism to extend the tenure of the special judge to enable him conclude the trial in the case.

 

 

A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman, asked the state government to apprise it by July 19 of a mechanism by which the special judge’s tenure could be extended till he delivers the verdict in the high profile case.