Babri demolition case: Proceedings over, judge to start writing verdict; judgement expected by month end

The special judge hearing the Babri mosque demolition case will on Wednesday start writing the judgment, expected to be pronounced by the end of this month.

The proceedings in the case at the CBI court here ended Tuesday with the advocates for some of 32 accused presenting their oral arguments.

Judge S K Yadav said he will start the dictation of the judgment from Wednesday.

The accused in the decades-old include case include former deputy prime minister LK Advani, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh and BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar and Sakshi Maharaj.

Prosecution agency CBI led about 350 witnesses and produced about 600 documents against the accused.

The CBI judge is trying to deliver the judgment by the end of this month to meet the deadline fixed by the Supreme Court.

The Babri Masjid was demolished in December 1992 by "kar sevaks" who claimed that the mosque in Ayodhya was built on the site of an ancient Ram temple.

The land dispute over the site was settled last year by the Supreme Court, which allowed the construction of a Ram temple. The court also directed that an alternative site should be allotted in Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the temple took place on August 5 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi participating in a bhoomi pujan.