With the conclusion of hearing, the verdict in the Babri Masjid demolition case in which several senior BJP leaders, including L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh, are accused, is expected to be delivered this month.
As both the prosecution and the defendants concluded their oral arguments earlier this week, special judge (CBI) S K Yadav could start writing the judgement in the next few days.
According to the lawyers of the defendants, a verdict in the case was likely this month. The Supreme Court has also directed the special CBI judge to deliver the verdict by September 30.
There were in all 49 accused persons in this case to start with, but 17 of them have died since then.
The case, which pertained to the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 by thousands of 'kar sevaks', were heard on a daily basis by special CBI judge.
Soon after the demolition of the disputed structure, two FIRs were registered at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station in Ayodhya against unidentified 'kar sevaks', Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and BJP leaders.
Forty seven other FIRs were also registered later.
The CBI, which was handed over the investigation of the cases, had filed a single charge sheet in all the cases. The Allahabad High Court, upon being approached by the BJP leaders, ordered to drop proceedings against them as the state government had not issued fresh notification transferring the trial of FIR no 198 in which their names had found mention to the special CBI court.
Another reason behind the delay was that the cases were being heard separately at Rae Bareli and Lucknow. The Supreme Court later clubbed all the cases and ordered that they would be heard at Lucknow. It also set aside the HC order for dropping of charges against some BJP leaders.