Former BJP president LK Advani is among 19 other leaders against whom the CBI wants conspiracy charges to be revived. (File Photo: PTI)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today pleaded the Supreme Court that conspiracy charges against former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and other leaders in Babri demolition case should be revived.

The CBI had booked several BJP leaders including Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh and Vinay Katiyar but they were freed by a court in Raebareli of conspiracy charges. In 2010, the Allahabad High Court confirmed this decision.

The Supreme Court while hinting ordering day-to-day hearing in the case said that it may transfer the trial to Lucknow. "It's in cases like these where over 17 years have passed since the high court.The question is whether we permit evasion of law (on technical grounds) or allow evasion of justice," the top court observed.

Reacting to the CBI's charge, Katiyar said the central agency appears to be confused as far as the Babri case probe is concerned. "No speech inciting the mob was made," Katiyar said.

On March 6, the Supreme Court had decided to examine the appeal against dropping of conspiracy charge against the accused including Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharti in the case related to demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.

The top court had also came up with an option of ordering a joint trial of cases arising out of the two FIRs lodged in the wake of the demolition of the disputed structure.

However, the clubbing of two FIRs was opposed by the counsel for the accused on the ground that there were different sets of persons named as accused in the two cases, the trial of which were at an advanced stage at two different places.

They were of the view that joint trial would lead to the beginning of proceedings 'de novo' (afresh).

Altogether, 13 persons including Advani, Joshi and Bharti were discharged of conspiracy charge in the case, the trial of which is being held at a special court in Raebareli.

The second set of case was against unknown 'karsevaks' who were in and around the disputed structure and the trial was being held at a court in Lucknow.

The appeals were filed by the CBI against dropping of conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi and 19 others for demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992.

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