Babri: SC orders UP court to expedite trial

A Bench of Justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad vent out displeasure over absence of the counsel for the CBI after noting that the Bench had accommodated such a request early in the day, but the law officer failed to turn up even on the second call.

The court said it was "reluctantly" granting the request made by a counsel seeking adjournment in the case in view of engagement of the CBI's senior counsel in some other case. "How many times should we have to adjourn this case? We can say that the law officer is taking the court casually," observed the Bench while posting the matter after eight weeks.

It, however, made it clear that the pendency of the CBI's appeal before it should not delay the trial. "The trial court in Rae Bareilly is to proceed with the trial and complete it as expeditiously as possible," it said.

The court allowed a plea to delete the name of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray in the name of respondents.

The CBI had moved the SC last year against the Allahabad High Court's order of May 20, 2010 dismissing its plea for revival of criminal conspiracy charges against BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders, including Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Vinay Katiyar, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Sadhvi Rithambara, Mahant Avaidya Nath.

The HC had held that the CBI's revision petition challenging the May 4, 2001 order of the special court, that directed dropping of criminal conspiracy charges against the accused, was without merit.

As per the probe agency, the HC order had resulted in serious miscarriage of justice.

Uproar in Lok Sabha

The demolition of Babri mosque rocked the Lok Sabha on Thursday while a Parliamentary delegation from Pakistan was seated in the special box. Even before Speaker Meira Kumar welcomed the visiting delegation, BSP's Shafiqur Rahman Burq waived a black flag to register his protest the demolition. Soon, Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), Abdul Rahman (DMK) and Saidul Haq (CPM) and BJP members joined forcing Kumar to adjourn the House till noon. In the afternoon SP members trooped to the well, forcing the Deputy Speaker to adjourn the House for the day.

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