Special court begins hearing in Babri case, grants bail to 5 VHP leaders

A special CBI court here today began day-to-day hearing in the Babri Masjid demolition case and granted bail to five VHP leaders named as accused in it.
The Supreme Court had on April 19 directed the special court to start proceedings in the matter within a month and deliver its verdict within two years.
The CBI court had earlier issued summons to six accused persons, of whom five, including Ram Vilas Vedanti (59), appeared in the court and sought bail.
CBI special court judge S K Yadav allowed their bail plea asking each of them to furnish two sureties of Rs 20,000 and a personal bond of the same amount.

The court fixed the next hearing on May 22.
Besides Vedanti, those who appeared before the CBI court were VHP leaders Champat Rai (71), Baikunth Lal Sharma (88), Mahant Nritya Gopal Das (79) and Dharmdas Maharaj (68).
The sixth accused, Satish Pradhan, did not appear.