Babri demolition accused hold key posts in Ram temple trust

Nritya Gopal Das and Champat Rai Bansal, chairman and general secretary of the trust addressed ‘kar sevaks’ before the mosque was demolished.

A file picture of Nritya Gopal Das.

Nritya Gopal Das and Champat Rai Bansal, chairman and general secretary of the trust set up to oversee construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, are both accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case .

Both Mr. Das and Mr. Bansal were on the dais from where several leaders had addressed ‘kar sevaks’ before the mosque was demolished, as per the CBI charge sheet in the case. Eight prominent leaders, including former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, had also shared the dais.

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On October 5, 1993, the CBI had filed a consolidated charge sheet against 48 persons, including Mr. Das and Mr. Bansal.

The agency had invoked Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 153-A (promoting enmity on various grounds), 153-B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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In September 1997, a special court found prima facie basis to charge the accused persons, including Mr. Bansal and Mr. Das, under Section 147 (rioting), 153-A, 153-B, 295-A and 505, read with Section 120-B, of the IPC.

On May 4, 2001, proceedings against 21 persons, including Mr. Bansal and Mr. Das, were dropped, as the court concerned took the view that there were two sets of accused — one, the ‘kar sewaks’ who demolished the mosque, and the others who were the alleged instigators.

The High Court subsequently upheld the judgment, after which the matter moved to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court, on April 19, 2017, ordered the sessions court to frame additional charges under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) against Mr. Advani and seven other prominent leaders. It also directed framing of additional charges under Section 120-B and other IPC provisions mentioned in the joint CBI charge sheet against others, which included Mr. Bansal and Mr. Das.