# Justice MS Liberhan Passes Away at 87: The Man Who Led the 17-Year Babri Masjid Demolition Inquiry

> Justice MS Liberhan, who headed the commission investigating the Babri Masjid demolition, has died in Chandigarh at age 87 after a 17-year probe.

**Type:** article · **Category:** India · **Published:** 2026-08-04 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/national/justice-ms-liberhan-passes-away-at-87-the-man-who-led-the-17-year-babri-masjid-demolition-inquiry-13454 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Justice MS Liberhan, Babri Masjid demolition, Liberhan Commission, Ayodhya Ram Mandir, legal news

Former high-ranking judge and jurist Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan has passed away at the age of 87 in Chandigarh on Sunday night. His last rites were performed on Monday morning at 11 am. Justice Liberhan served as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and as the former Chief Justice of both the Andhra Pradesh and Madras High Courts. However, his most defining role across the nation was heading the Liberhan Commission, which was tasked with probing the December 6, 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Hindu nationalist outfits, including the RSS and BJP, had maintained that the site was the birthplace of Lord Rama where a temple should be built. The Supreme Court eventually delivered a verdict in November 2019 favoring the construction of a Ram temple, followed by the consecration ceremony of the deity in January 2024.

## A 17-Year Judicial Inquiry
MS Liberhan dedicated 17 years of his career to a single, monumental case. Investigating the demolition for nearly two decades, he submitted his final report in 2009. Exactly ten days after the Babri structure was brought down on December 6, 1992, the central government led by then Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao established a one-man commission on December 16, 1992, to examine the sequence of events.

Initially, the commission was given a tight deadline of just three months to complete its probe and submit findings. However, the investigation dragged on extensively, receiving a total of 48 extensions over the years. Following the prolonged 17-year inquiry, the commission handed over its massive report spanning over 1,000 pages to then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on June 30, 2009, making it one of the longest-running inquiry commissions in the judicial history of the nation.

## Key Findings of the Liberhan Commission Report
Justice Liberhan concluded in his detailed report that the destruction of the Babri mosque was not a spontaneous occurrence but rather an action executed with meticulous planning and care. The commission identified the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and affiliates linked to the Sangh Parivar as the masterminds behind the entire operation.

A total of 68 individuals, including prominent figures from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the wider Sangh Parivar, were held culpable in the report. The prominent names listed included L. K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Singh, and Uma Bharti. The commission asserted that these leaders could not claim ignorance of the conspiracy, labeling their actions as a betrayal of public trust.

According to reports, when the Supreme Court exonerated all the accused in 2020, M. S. Liberhan voiced strong disagreement, stating that regardless of the court verdict, he stood firmly by his report because it contained concrete evidence. He maintained that Uma Bharti had admitted to him during proceedings regarding her involvement in the demolition.

Born on November 11, 1938, in a village near Chandigarh, M. S. Liberhan began his legal practice in Ambala, Haryana, in 1970. He subsequently moved to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, building a stellar reputation defined by judicial integrity, patience, and commitment to the rule of law before being elevated to the bench.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. When and where did Justice MS Liberhan pass away?
Justice MS Liberhan passed away in Chandigarh on Sunday night, and his last rites were held on Monday morning.

### 2. When was the Liberhan Commission established?
The Liberhan Commission was established on December 16, 1992, to investigate the Babri Masjid demolition.

### 3. When was the Liberhan Commission report submitted?
After a 17-year investigation, the commission submitted its report to then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on June 30, 2009.

### 4. How many individuals were blamed in the Liberhan report?
The report held a total of 68 people responsible, including prominent leaders from the BJP and Sangh Parivar.

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