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Rae Bareilly: The special court, hearing Ayodhya demolition cases against Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Union Minister M M Joshi and 11 others, on August 8 posted the matter for further hearing on August 19 after local lawyers disrupted the proceedings in protest against alleged police atrocities on an advocate.

The proceedings came to a halt soon after the defence counsel Mridul Rakesh began to advance arguments on the charges framed against the accused.

Protesting the alleged police atrocity on a fellow advocate in Unchahar town in the district, the local lawyers entered the courtroom of special judge V K Singh and began slogan shouting forcing adjournment of the case.

The judge then posted the matter for further hearing on August 19.

Earlier, the defence counsel pleaded during his arguments that the evidence beyond the documents submitted by the prosecution should also be considered for quashing of the charges.

The court, on an application moved by the defence counsel, granted exemption to the accused persons from personal appearance for August 8.

The court had, on July 30, screened the four video and three audiotapes relating to incidents on December 6, 1992, the day the Babri Masjid was demolished at Ayodhya.

Significantly, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel had then admitted that the tapes did not contain the speeches of Advani, Joshi and other accused persons.

PTI