NEW DELHI, Feb 18: The CBI has moved the Supreme Court challenging an Allahabad High Court order that dropped charges of criminal conspiracy against BJP leaders including LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi in the Babri Masjid Demolition case. In the appeal, the agency said that the High Court had not come to the right conclusion and the charges of criminal conspiracy should be restored against them. The High Court had on May 20 last year dismissed the CBI plea seeking revival of criminal conspiracy charges against top BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders which also included Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Vinay Katiyar, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Sadhvi Rithambara and Mahant Avaidya Nath. The other leader were former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, besides Shiv Sena chief  Balasaheb Thackeray.

In his 44 page judgement, Justiced Alok Kumar Singh of the Lucknow bench of the High Court had said there was no merit in CBI's revision petition challenging the May4,2001 order of the special court which directed dropping of criminal conspiracy charges against them. There are two sets af cases - one against Advani and others who were on the dais at the Ram Katha kunj in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 when the Babri Masjid was demolished, while the other case was against lakh of unknown 'kar sevaks' who were in and around the disputed structure. Upholding the 2001 order of the special CBI Court, Justice Singh had said, "Nothing is found against the correctness, legality, propriety or regularity in respect of any findings of the lower court". All the 21 were charged under section 153A IPC (promoting enmity between classes), 153B(imputation, assertion prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (false statements, rumors etc circulated with the intent to cause mutiny or disturb public peace).