[Babri Demolition] Supreme Court quashes all contempt proceedings initiated against UP Govt, Officials

The Top Court today closed all the contempt proceedings, that arose out of the demolition of the Babri mosque in 1992, against the state of Uttar Pradesh and others.

Accordingly, all the contempt petitions initiated against the Uttar Pradesh Government and other officials for not stopping the demolition as per the status quo order passed by the Apex Court in 1992 have been quashed.

In view of the 2019 Supreme Court's verdict on Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, the contempt cases cannot proceed, noted the top court.

The contempt cases were filed by one Muhammad Aslam Bhure, who died in 2010. It was alleged by the petitioner that the order passed by the apex court in 1992 was violated and after that, the contempt petition was filed.

Taking into consideration that the main petitioner had died, a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Abhay S Oka and Vikram Nath closed the contempt cases against all including late former UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh.

The Babri mosque was demolished on 6 December 1992 by ‘Karsevaks’. After a prolonged legal battle, the order of the Special CBI court acquitted all the accused including former deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and senior BJP leader MM Joshi holding that the CBI could not produce any evidence that could prove that accused had a meeting of mind.

It is important to note that an appeal against the acquittal of accused persons in the abovesaid case is pending before the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court. The bench of Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Saroj Yadav is presently dealing with the matter on the point of admissibility of the appeal.

The high court on August 1, 2022, granted two weeks' time to the State government of Uttar Pradesh and CBI to file their respective objections to the appeal.

Case Title: Mohd. Aslam vs. State of Uttar Pradesh