Justice Liberhan, who led Babri demolition probe panel, dies at 87

Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan, a former chief justice of the Andhra Pradesh and Madras high courts who oversaw the investigation into the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, has passed away at the age of 87 in Chandigarh. Born on November 11, 1938, near Chandigarh, Liberhan launched his legal career at the Punjab and Haryana high court in 1964, eventually becoming a judge. He was cremated on Monday in Chandigarh alongside friends, family, and fellow professionals.

According to Anu Chatrath, a senior additional advocate general for Punjab, Liberhan was a highly motivating judge who enjoyed a reputation for making others feel at ease. Chatrath recalled that Liberhan would often lighten the mood in tense courtroom situations with witty one-liners.

Liberhan was appointed to the Punjab and Haryana bar council in 1970 and served in that role until 1987. He became the chief justice of the Madras high court in 1997 and the chief justice of the Andhra Pradesh high court in 1998. However, his most prominent role came when he was tasked with leading the single-member inquiry commission into the Babri Masjid demolition on December 16, 1992, just 10 days after the mosque was destroyed by a mob.

The inquiry, known as the Liberhan Commission, lasted for nearly 17 years, with the final report released on June 30, 2009, after 43 extensions. The 1,029-page report concluded that the destruction of the mosque was premeditated, systematic, and a coordinated conspiracy involving multiple individuals, including political figures and members of right-wing organizations.

The report stated that no spontaneous or unplanned events, foreign conspiracies, or natural disasters could have caused the tragedy. While those accused in the plot were later acquitted, the report emphasized that the use of the Sangh Parivar's extensive support base for the Ayodhya campaign was in clear violation of Indian law and morality.