The Hindu : Liberhan defers final arguments to April 9

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Saturday, Mar 08, 2003

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Liberhan defers final arguments to April 9

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI March 7. The Liberhan Commission, probing the sequence of events leading to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, today deferred till April 9 the commencement of final arguments, after counsel said they were not furnished with copies of the depositions made by witnesses.

Mr. Justice Liberhan said the lawyers would be given the documents within two weeks and they should file their written submissions by April 2 and be ready for the day-to-day final arguments, beginning April 9.

The Commission, set up soon after the Masjid's demolition, while concluding recording of evidence on January 22, had asked the parties to file written submissions and said the final arguments would commence from today.

During the last 10 years of hearing, the Commission has held 315 sittings and examined 99 witnesses — 14 defence witnesses; 53 Central Government witnesses and 32 Commission's witnesses, including the 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 Union Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, and senior leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh, who was in office at the time of the demolition could not be cross-examined as he moved the courts challenging the summons on the ground that his examination would be prejudicial to him.

Mr. Justice Liberhan today indicated that after the completion of the crucial final arguments, which would go on for about a month, he would pronounce the findings of the Commission in open court and asked the response of the Commission's counsel in this regard.

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