Supreme Court dismisses contempt suits pertaining to Babri mosque demolition

National

The Supreme Court dismissed contempt petitions brought against some BJP leaders, the Uttar Pradesh government, and its employees in connection with the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on Tuesday.

In 1992, one Mohammed Aslam Bhure filed a contempt suit against the Uttar Pradesh government for violating the court’s commitment to maintain peace and order in the region.

The contempt suits do not survive, according to a three-judge panel of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Abhay S Oka, and Vikram Nath, because of the passage of time and the 2019 Supreme Court ruling on the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid property dispute issue in Ayodhya. 

Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sadhvi Ritambara, Vinay Katiyar, and others have been charged with contempt of court.

Noting that the contempt petitioner Bhure died in 2010, the bench stated that nothing in the case remains in this context.

The top court also closed pending cases arising out of the 2002 Gujarat riots, noting that the cases have now become infructuous with the passage of time.

The cases were dismissed as infructuous by a bench consisting of Chief Justice of India UU Lalit, Justices S Ravindra Bhat and JB Pardiwala. The petitions currently before the Supreme Court included those filed by the National Human Rights Commission, victims, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) requesting a thorough inquiry into the incidents of violence during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The court also noted that advocates Aparna Bhat, Ejaz Maqbool and Amit Sharma, appearing for the petitioners, fairly accepted the statement of the SIT.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear the bail plea of activist Teesta Setalvad who was arrested for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame “innocent people” in the 2002 Gujarat riots cases.