The Hindu : National : Liberhan panel term extended

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 10, 2004

National

National

Liberhan panel term extended

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 9. The Centre today extended by six months the tenure of the Liberhan Commission probing the sequence of events leading to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

The Commission, whose term was to expire by September 30, has been asked to submit its report on or before March 31, 2005.

Set up on December 16, 1992, the Commission, held its last sitting on July 30. After the completion of oral evidence by witnesses, Mr. Justice Liberhan said he would submit the report "very soon" though the panel's term was due to expire on September 30.

The Commission, which started its effective sittings from January 1993, was in abeyance for about two years because of interim orders passed by the Delhi High Court.

It started regular hearing only from 1995. It held its initial sittings in Lucknow and shifted to Delhi later.

During the last 11 years of hearing, the Commission has held about 330 sittings and examined 99 witnesses — 14 defence witnesses, 53 Central Government witnesses and 32 Commission's witnesses., including the former Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, the former Prime Ministers, P.V. Narasimha Rao and V.P. Singh, the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu, the former Union Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, and senior leaders of the VHP and the RSS.

The request for summoning the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was not accepted by the Commission.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National