'Babri faced threat from ISI, ultras'

During his cross-examination of senior IPS officer and CBI witness Anju Gupta, defence counsel H D Sharma, said the then UP principal secretary, home, Prabhat Kumar had written a letter to the Centre a day before the demolition stating that there was a threat to the disputed structure from ISI agents and Kashmiri militants.

Sharma, who is the counsel for senior BJP leader L K Advani, told the court that there was an international conspiracy to damage the mosque and keeping this view a three-tier security arrangement was made in Ayodhya. He pointed out that a review meeting was convened in Ayodhya to discuss the threat on the evening of December 5, 1992, in which the then Inspector General of Police A K Saran had participated.

Gupta said she could not remember if the UP government’s letter to the Centre apprehending threat from ISI and Kashmiri militants was discussed at the meeting.
Gupta said a decision was taken to allow karseva and karsevaks to pay obeisance at the disputed structure. As the cross-examination of Gupta remained inconclusive, special CBI judge Gulab Singh posted the matter for further hearing on May 15 next.

Gupta, who was then personal security officer of Advani, had earlier told the court that the saffron leaders, including Advani, had delivered provocative speeches on the day of demolition on December 6, 1992. She had said that the officials had intelligence inputs that karsevaks could damage the Babri Masjid yet they failed to take adequate preventive measures.