SC notice to Advani, Joshi, Uma

R Sedhuraman

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 31

The Supreme Court on Tursday issued notice on a fresh petition against the discharge of BJP leaders LK Advani, Uma Bharti and MM Joshi and Governor Kalyan Singh in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu asked the leaders to file their response and posted the next hearing after four weeks.

The petitioner, Haji Mehboob Ahmed, was a litigant in the Ayodhya mandir/masjid title dispute.

The CBI has also challenged the discharge of 13 persons, including the BJP leaders, by the trial court in April 2001.

The Allahabad HC has upheld their discharge.

The SC said it would hear the pleas of the CBI and the new petitioner, both on merit and the question of delay in challenging the clean chit to the accused.

The other accused discharged in the case include VHP leaders Vinay Khattiyar, Ashok Singhal and Giriraj Kishore.

The Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992, by a frenzied mob of 'kar sevaks' comprising mainly the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists.

Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister, while Kalyan Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh at that time.