| Updated: Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 14:47 [IST]

New Delhi, Sep 30: A special CBI court has acquitted all the accused in connection with the Babri Masjid demolition case. The court observed that there was no evidence against the accused persons.

The court also said that there was no evidence to say that the demolition was a pre-planned one.

Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Satish Pradhan and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das joined proceedings through video conferencing. In August, the Supreme Court extended by a month the deadline for completion of trial in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case involving 32 accused, including BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti, and said that judgement should be delivered by September 30.

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2:47 PM, 30 Sep

Speaking about the special CBI court's verdict to acquit all accused in the Babri case, Raut told reporters "the case in the special court lost its relevance after the supreme court's verdict on Ram temple and bhoomi pujan of the temple conducted by prime minister (in August)," Raut told reporters.

2:23 PM, 30 Sep

Verdict saying demolition wasn't a conspiracy and a result of circumstances, was the expected judgment: Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena

2:16 PM, 30 Sep

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday welcomed the acquittal of all 32 accused in the Babri mosque demolition case and said that the court verdict proved the maxim 'Satyamev Jayate' or truth prevails.

2:08 PM, 30 Sep

Along with millions of my countrymen, I now look forward to the completion of beautiful Shri Ram Mandir at Ayodhya: LK Advani

2:05 PM, 30 Sep

Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, who was an accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case, has welcomed a CBI special court's verdict acquitting all the 32 accused in the case.

1:51 PM, 30 Sep

Those responsible for this conspiracy should apologise to the nation: UP CMO

1:32 PM, 30 Sep

I wholeheartedly welcome the judgement by the Special Court in Babri Masjid demolition case. The judgement vindicates my personal and BJP's belief and commitment toward the Ram Janmabhoomi movement:LK Advani after being acquitted by Special CBI court

1:14 PM, 30 Sep

Welcoming the Babri verdict, Defence Minister Rajanth Singh tweeted, "It has been proven that justice triumphed however late it may be."

1:09 PM, 30 Sep

Everyone present in the court was relaxed, as all were expecting this outcome. The prosecution didn't have evidence. This is a welcome judgement: Brij Bhushan Singh, BJP MP from Kaiserganj, UP

12:59 PM, 30 Sep

All the 32 accused in the Babri mosque demolition case, including BJP veterans L K Advani and MM Joshi, were on Wednesday acquitted by a special CBI court here. The court said there was no conclusive proof against the accused.

12:46 PM, 30 Sep

Nearly thirty years after the Babri Masjid was razed by a mob in Uttar Pradesh, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Wednesday acquitted all 32 accused citing lack of evidence.

12:39 PM, 30 Sep

Court found that video was fabricated. Investigative team did not produce negatives of picture: Advocate K K Misra

12:29 PM, 30 Sep

Special judge while reading out the operative portion of the judgment said that there is no evidence to show that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was pre-planned.

12:27 PM, 30 Sep

The special CBI court has acquitted all accused in the Babri demolition case.

12:26 PM, 30 Sep

All accused acquitted.

12:25 PM, 30 Sep

The court has observed that the evidences against the accused are not strong enough. The Babri demolition was not pre-planned the court says while ruling out conspiracy theories.

12:20 PM, 30 Sep

PTI reports that the Delhi Police are keeping a tight vigil in the national capital. We are keeping a watch on the security aspect across the city, a senior police official said.

12:13 PM, 30 Sep

Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Satish Pradhan and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das join proceedings through video conferencing.

11:59 AM, 30 Sep

The lawyers of some of the accused have already started preparing bail bonds, in case they are convicted.

11:53 AM, 30 Sep

Only the accused and their lawyers have been allowed inside the court hall

11:51 AM, 30 Sep

Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharti appear through videoconferencing

11:48 AM, 30 Sep

Special Judge, S K Yadav begins dictating order. It is a 2,000 page order

11:29 AM, 30 Sep

Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti, Nritya Gopal Das, Kalyan Singh and Satish Pradhan are not present in court.

11:25 AM, 30 Sep

26 accused inside the courtroom. 6 have sought exemption.

11:11 AM, 30 Sep

6 accused will be absent from court. They include L K Advani, Uma Bharti and M M Joshi. They are likely to appear through video conferencing. They will also give undertakings to abide by the verdict of the court.

11:05 AM, 30 Sep

There are 14 accused in court at the moment.

11:05 AM, 30 Sep

Won’t seek bail, if awarded a jail term says Uma Bharti.

11:05 AM, 30 Sep

The verdict will be accepted with full honour. We go by mantra, not shadyantra (conspiracy) says Sadhvi Rithambara.

10:39 AM, 30 Sep

Special Judge, S K Yadav has arrived at the court hall

10:25 AM, 30 Sep

A high alert has been sounded in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the verdict

7:57 AM, 30 Sep

A bench of justices R F Nariman, Navin Sinha and Indira Banerjee said, Having read the report of Surendra Kumar Yadav, learned Special Judge, and considering that the proceedings are at the fag end, we grant one month's time, i.e., till September 30, 2020, to complete the proceedings including the delivery of judgment .

7:58 AM, 30 Sep

The top court, which had earlier fixed August 31 as the deadline for completion of proceedings including pronouncement of the verdict, took note of the report filed by special judge S K Yadav in the high-profile case.

7:58 AM, 30 Sep

L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi are likely to ask the court to allow them to appear through video conference citing their advanced age and the coronavirus pandemic. It may be recalled that during the hearing, the court had permitted Advani and Joshi to record their statements through video conferencing.

8:14 AM, 30 Sep

On May 8, the top court had extended by three months the time for completion of trial in the case and said that judgement should be delivered by August 31.The special CBI court at Lucknow has completed the recording of statements of the 32 accused under section 313 of CrPC in the case.

8:26 AM, 30 Sep

The mosque in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992, by 'kar sevaks' who claimed that an ancient Ram temple stood at the same site.Former deputy prime minister LK Advani and BJP veteran MM Joshi, who were among those leading the Ram temple movement at that time, had deposed before the court through video conferencing.

8:35 AM, 30 Sep

The court has also recorded statements of BJP stalwarts like Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharti, both of whom appeared in person. Advani's statement was recorded barely days before the groundbreaking event on August 5 for a Ram temple at Ayodhya.

8:45 AM, 30 Sep

Last year, a five-judge Constitution bench of the top court had ruled that the 2.77-acre land claimed by both Hindus and Muslims would be handed over to a trust for the building of a temple.

8:57 AM, 30 Sep

The court had also ordered the allocation of a five-acre land at another site in Ayodhya for building a mosque.

9:01 AM, 30 Sep

The verdict will be delivered by 10 am

9:04 AM, 30 Sep

The top court had in May asked special judge S K Yadav to control the proceedings in accordance with law so that the time-frame is no longer breached.

9:11 AM, 30 Sep

It had indicated to the special judge to avail the facilities of video conferencing to complete recording of evidence and hearing of applications that are filed during the course of trial proceedings.

9:13 AM, 30 Sep

The top court order was passed after the special judge had written a letter seeking an extension of time granted to him for completing the trial in the politically sensitive case.

9:13 AM, 30 Sep

On July 19, last year the top court had asked the special judge to deliver the verdict within nine months, which was to end this April.

9:14 AM, 30 Sep

It had also extended the tenure of the special judge at Lucknow till the completion of the trial and the delivery of the verdict in the case.

9:16 AM, 30 Sep

Besides Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharti, the accused against whom conspiracy charge was invoked in the case by the top court on April 19, 2017, include former Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh, BJP MP Vinay Katiar and Sadhvi Rithambara.

9:24 AM, 30 Sep

Three other high-profile accused - Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders Giriraj Kishore, Ashok Singhal and Vishnu Hari Dalmia - died during trial and the proceedings against them have been abated.

9:35 AM, 30 Sep

Kalyan Singh, during whose tenure as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh the disputed structure was razed, was put on trial in September last year after his tenure as governor came to an end.

9:35 AM, 30 Sep

Exercising its plenary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the top court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to pass appropriate orders in consultation with the Allahabad High Court to extend the tenure of the special judge, who was set to retire on September 30 last year.

9:36 AM, 30 Sep

On April 19, 2017, the top court had ordered a day-to-day trial in the high profile case and directed the special judge to conclude it in two years.

9:36 AM, 30 Sep

While dubbing the demolition of the disputed structure as a "crime" which shook the "secular fabric of the Constitution", it had allowed the CBI's plea on restoration of the criminal conspiracy charge against the VVIP accused.

9:37 AM, 30 Sep

The court had come down heavily on the CBI for the delay of over 25 years in the trial.

9:37 AM, 30 Sep

Issuing a slew of directions, it had said, "The proceedings (against Advani and others) in the court of the Special Judicial Magistrate at Raebareli will stand transferred to the Court of Additional Sessions Judge (Ayodhya Matters) at Lucknow."

9:37 AM, 30 Sep

"The court of sessions will frame additional charges under Section 120-B (conspiracy) and the other provisions of the penal code mentioned in the joint charge sheet filed by the CBI against Champat Rai Bansal, Satish Pradhan, Dharam Das, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Mahamadleshwar Jagdish Muni, Ram Bilas Vadanti, Vaikunth Lal Sharma and Satish Chandra Nagar," the apex court had said.

9:37 AM, 30 Sep

The court had termed the Allahabad High Court's February 12, 2001 verdict of dropping conspiracy charges against Advani and others as "erroneous".

9:37 AM, 30 Sep

Before the 2017 verdict of the apex court, there were two sets of cases relating to the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992, going on at Lucknow and Raebareli.

9:38 AM, 30 Sep

The trial of the first case involving unnamed 'Karsevaks' was going on in a Lucknow court, while the second set of cases relating to the eight VVIPs were going on in a Raebareli court.

9:38 AM, 30 Sep

A high alert has been sounded across Uttar Pradesh today. More than 2,000 police personnel, half of them in civil clothes, have been deployed to ensure the security of the area, reports IANS.

9:39 AM, 30 Sep

Accused Vinay Katiyar, Dharamdas, Vedanti, Lallu Singh, Champat Rai and Pawan Pandey reach Lucknow

9:59 AM, 30 Sep

Security has been tightened around the Special CBI court ahead of the verdict.

10:08 AM, 30 Sep

The verdict will be delivered shortly.

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