The IPS officer, who said L. K. Advani had made a provocative speech in Ayodhya moments before the Babri Masjid was demolished by Sangh Parivar activists, today told a CBI court that she was twice sent away from the dais by BJP leader Vinay Katiyar.
Anju Gupta, who was the personal security officer of Advani, was replying to questions by defence counsel during the hearing of the Babri Masjid demolition case.
Ms. Gupta said when she reached the Ram Katha Kunj manch (dais), where BJP leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharati, Sadhvi Ritambhara were also present, she was asked by Mr. Katiyar to go to the police control room and change the direction of Advani’s convoy.
When she returned to the dias, Mr. Katiyar told her to again go to the control room and bring Advani’s car.
During the deposition, Ms. Gupta said she had no information about any order from the Supreme Court permitting symbolic ‘kar seva’ at the disputed structure on December 6, 2002.
Ms. Gupta, the ninth CBI witness in the case, said she only knew that the apex court had prohibited from performing ‘kar seva’ to construct the temple.
She was cross-examined by defence counsel H. D. Sharma for almost two hours before special CBI court judge Gulab Singh.
The next hearing will take place on June 8.
The defence counsel also asked Ms. Gupta if she had informed Mr. Advani about the decision taken at the meeting convened by IG Police A. K. Saran on December 5, 2002 where it was decided to allow ‘kar seva’ the next day.
“As per government rules, we are not allowed to inform any politician about details of any such meeting”, Ms. Gupta told the court.
During her deposition before the court on March 26, Ms. Gupta had said, “On December 6, 1992, Mr. Advani made a spirited speech from Ram Katha Kunj manch (dais), barely 150-200 metres from the disputed site which charged the people. He repeatedly said that the temple would be constructed at the same site.”
She also said Uma Bharti and Ritambhara motivated people to demolish the disputed structure.
Ms. Gupta, the then Additional Superintendent of Police in Faizabad, told the court on April 23 that Faizabad Police had intelligence inputs about possibility of an attack on the Masjid by ‘kar sevaks’.
She is appearing as a prosecution witness in the case in which Advani, his party colleague Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and other Sangh Parivar leaders have been accused of inciting violence that led to the demolition of the mosque.
