CBI: Criminal conspiracy led to Babri demolition

The probe agency filed a petition filed in the Supreme Court against an order of the Allahabad High Court dropping charges relating to criminal conspiracy against the accused persons including Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray.

The High Court had on May 20 last year declined a plea of the CBI for framing of criminal conspiracy charges against top BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders including VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Sadhvi Rithambara and Mahant Avaidya Nath and Vinay Katiyar.

The probe agency said the High Court had treated “instigation of crowds” and “destruction of structure” as two distinct events, which, it claimed, were in fact parts of a single event.
“The offences of instigation, facilitation, actual demolition of the disputed structure, continuous assault on mediapersons, all form a single transaction,” the CBI said.
The CBI challenged the High Court order alleging “artificial” distinctions were made by the trial court with regard to the offences of the accused and which were ratified by the High Court.