Mail Today, 26 November 2009
By Aman Sharma in New Delhi
The CBI, after studying the Liberhan report, may file fresh charge sheets against tainted politicians.
THE CBI on Wednesday began studying the Liberhan Commission report.
It is looking for fresh evidence in the report that could call for filing a supplementary charge sheet in ongoing cases against political leaders responsible for the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 6, 1992.
The Centre could also formally ask the CBI to study the report and mandate it to look for new evidences to strengthen the prosecution in the ongoing cases. This could happen after the report is discussed in Parliament by December 2. CBI director Ashwani Kumar will be officially handed over a copy of the report, a source said.
A special task force could be set up in the CBI to look into the contents of the Liberhan report. The Union law ministry is also closely studying it.
“ The government has to take a decision on whether the CBI will be mandated to take any action based on the report. This decision could be announced on the floor of the Houses,” a top CBI official said.
“ However, we have already started studying the report on our own because it is now a public document. The CBI is capable of taking suo moto cognisance if we find any evidence in the report that can throw up the need to file a supplementary charge sheet in the cases against the existing accused persons. A senior team of the CBI is already on the job. We could also file a primary charge sheet in case evidence is found against a new accused,” he added.
The Congress also gave hints of the CBI probe. On whether the recommendations of the commission will be handed over to the CBI for further action, party spokesperson, Jayanthi Natarajan said: “ Whatever process of law has to be followed consequent to tabling of the report will be followed.”
Another Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said supplementary charge sheets would be filed. The Action Taken Report of the home ministry mentions that the Centre will take steps to ensure hearings of three cases regarding the Babri demolition are expedited.
The CBI has probed two such cases. One of these is pending before the special court in Lucknow; its FIR is against lakhs of unknown karsevak s.
The second case, pending before the Rae Bareli special court, is against eight accused, including L. K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh, Vinay Katiyar, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, Vishnu Hari Dalmia and Sadhvi Rithambhara. There are 47 more cases pending before the Lucknow special court.
“ Steps would be taken in consultation with the law ministry to expedite the trial of these cases and explore the possibility of filing supplementary charge sheets,” a home ministry official said.
VAGHELA MAY FACE THE MUSIC
The Congress is expected to take cognisance of the involvement of former union minister for textiles Shankar Singh Vaghela in the Babri Masjid demolition. He is one of 68 people, including top BJP and RSS leaders and bureaucrats, indicted by the Liberhan Commission.
Disciplinary action is likely to be taken against him. The party could either expel or suspend him, according to a source. “ If his role in the events leading to the demolition is minimal, the party may show leniency and merely sideline him,” he said.
On whether the party would take disciplinary action against Vaghela, Natarajan said: “ The party will study the case. The party will study the cases of all those indicted.” Vaghela had joined the Congress before the 2004 Lok Sabha elections after promising the party brass that he would help revive it in Gujarat and fight Narendra Modi.
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