The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the CBI for its long delay over challenging the Allahabad high court verdict which held that senior BJP leaders, including Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, cannot be tried for criminal conspiracy in the Babri Masjid demolition case.
The court also criticised the CBI for its submission in the Babri Masjid case that the BJP leaders had committed a “national crime”. The court told the CBI the matter was still sub judice, and such language cannot be used till the matter is decided by the courts. “Please don’t say it is a national crime or a matter of national importance. We are yet to decide. Until we or the trial court decide... you can’t make such statements,” a bench headed by Justice H.L. Dattu said.
Questioning the delay in challenging the high court order, the bench added: “You said it is a case of national importance. Then (how) can you say translation (of court records) takes days and filing of the case takes three months?”