SC gives CBI judge fresh deadline of Aug 31 to finish Babri demolition trial

The Supreme Court on Friday gave the CBI judge in Lucknow a fresh deadline of August 31, 2020 to complete the trial against BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi, and others in the 1992 Babri demolition case.

A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Surya Kant asked the trial judge to use video conferencing for recording evidence and ensure the time frame was not breached further.

The top court had earlier extended the term of the judge and fixed the deadline of April 2020 for finishing the trial in the case.

On a letter received by the Special Judge to further extend the time, the bench said, "the effort must now be to complete the proceedings and deliver judgement latest by August 31, 2020."

The top court noted that on July 19, 2019, it had given six months' time to complete the recording of evidence and three more months to deliver the judgement.

"Despite nine months having expired, we still find that even the evidence is not yet completed. We may indicate that video conferencing facilities are available and should be used in order to complete all evidence," the bench said.

"It is up to the judge to control the proceedings in accordance with the law so that inordinate delay that is beyond the time frame that we now give, is no longer breached," the bench added.

On April 19, 2017, the top court had ordered day-to-day proceedings to conclude the trial in the December 6, 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case within two years.

It had then dubbed the demolition of the medieval era monument as a "crime" which shook the "secular fabric of the Constitution".

Besides Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharti, the accused against whom conspiracy charge was invoked in the case included former BJP MP Vinay Katiar and Sadhvi Ritambara. Former UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh is also one of the accused in the case.