New Delhi, Nov 23: Refuting the allegation that it had removed the criminal conspiracy charge against top BJP leaders in the Babri Masjid demolition case, the CBI has said it was not there in the original Uttar Pradesh Police's chargesheet filed in Rae Bareli court. Making the agency's stand clear, CBI director P C Sharma told that "I can only say this much that it was a case which was originally investigated by Uttar Pradesh Police. It was chargesheeted in the Rae Bareli court by the state police."
He said the case was transferred to the CBI after the Rae Bareli court had taken the cognizance of the state police chargesheet, which did not have Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy charge).
The agency had come in for severe criticism from political parties for allegedly diluting the case against Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and others by removing Section 120-B charge from the chargesheet.
Sharma said the controversy was "totally unfounded. I will not accept this criticism that CBI did something or took away the charge when it was never there."
Bureau Report