Ist testimony recorded in Babri Masjid demolition case

Rae Bareli, Dec 5 (UNI) For the first time in the last 15 years, testimony was today recorded in the Special CBI court hearing the Babri Masjid demolition case.

In the Special CBI Court, Hanuman Prasad, who lodged an FIR in the case, recorded his statement before Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Banshraj, a day before the 15th anniversary of the disputed structure demolition in Ayodhya.

The court fixed December 13 as next hearing of the case.

Earlier, the testimony could not be recorded on November 13 as the CJM was on leave.

Incidentally, the special Rae Bareli court had on September 19, 2003, cleared former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani of charges in the case and had summoned BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar and Uma Bharti and VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, Sadhvi Ritambhara and Vishnu Hari Dalmiya to frame charges against them. The seven had then challenged the court's order by filing five separate revision petitions against it.

The seven accused had allegedly expressed happiness and distributed sweets after the domes of the disputed structure got demolished.

UNI