After verdict on the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, the CBI, which is the prosecuting agency in the Babri Masjid demolition case, may not produce too many fresh witnesses for deposition before the Rae Bareli court in a bid to expedite the trial and facilitate the early completion of the judicial process.
The next hearing in the demolition case the Rae Bareli court is on October 5. The cross examination of the ninth witness Anju Gupta, an IPS officer, will take place on October 5. Sources in the CBI said that cross examination of Ms Gupta is likely to be completed in another one or two hearings. Ms Gupta, a crucial witness in the case, was ASP (Faizabad) in 1992 and was posted as senior BJP leader L.K. Advani’s personal security officer when the Kar Sevaks were gathering near the mosque on December 6, 1992.
It is reliably learnt that Ms Gupta in her earlier statement before the CBI had clearly said that it was Mr Advani’s speech which ultimately led the Kar Sevaks to go unruly. According to sources, the IPS officer also said that when the disputed structure was demolished, both Uma Bharti and Sadhvi Ritambhara congratulated Mr Advani and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi. No efforts were made by the top leaders of the BJP, including Mr Advani, to stop Kar Sevaks and save the disputed structure, she had said in her statement, sources added. Sources further said that Ms Gupta repeated the same statement before the Liberhan Commission also.
“After the verdict on the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri masjid title suit by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, the agency is now of the opinion that judgment on the demolition case should also come early,” sources said. It is also believed that the CBI is now preparing for the deposition of Haji Mehboob Ahmad before the Rae Bareli court as the 10th witness.