CBI in the dock over 'inadmissible evidence' in Babri Masjid demolition case

A close scrutiny of the Babri demolition verdict reveals that CBI, which was the prosecuting agency in the case, did not follow some simple rules while introducing evidence against the accused persons in support of its contention that they had hatched a conspiracy to bring down the disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

The special CBI court did not find the evidence introduced by the CBI 'admissible' and acquitted all the 32 accused in the case.

In his 2,300-page verdict, special CBI judge Surendra Kumar Yadav said that the original copies of the statements made by some accused persons were not submitted and instead photo copies were introduced, which could not be relied upon.

"The cassettes were tampered with...they were not sealed...the negatives of the photographs were not submitted," the judge remarked in the verdict.

READ: Babri Masjid case verdict: After 28 years, all 32 accused acquitted; demolition in Ayodhya not pre-planned

He also said that the tapes of the speeches of Sadhvi Ritambhara were not sealed and their printouts were submitted as evidence.

The court said that the voice samples of the accused persons, who had allegedly raised objectionable slogans, were not collected and matched with the recordings. "It would have been a strong evidence to prove what slogans were raised," the judge remarked.

READ: In Pics | Key figures acquitted in the Babri Masjid demolition case

The CBI had contended that senior BJP leaders, including L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar and saffron leader Sadhvi Ritambhara were on the stage in Ayodhya on the day, and had delivered provocative speeches.

The court said that the local intelligence unit (LIU) had apprehended that something unexpected could happen in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 but it was not looked into.

It said that at around 12:17 PM, a section of the 'karsevaks' suddenly started pelting stones and stormed into the disputed structure. There were some 'anti-social elements' within the crowd of 'karsevaks', who instigated a section to demolish the structure.