Missing Ayodhya files dumped as useless?

Sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigation, probing the case of 23 missing files related to the Ayodhya land deed, have got clues about six of them that may have been dumped in the record room as 'useless', official sources said in Lucknow on Tuesday.

During initial investigation, the CBI has found at least six files might be buried under a heap of official papers stored in the record room, they said.

"CBI has found details of these files in a register where the useless files are listed before being dumped in the record room," an official said.

The CBI team, which is camping here has met Home department officials and is likely to quiz the staff of its Communalism Control Cell looking after Ayodhya dispute. The team will also meet all stakeholders in the case in the next few days, the sources said.

The files related to the Ayodhya dispute had gone missing in 2000 after Subhasbhaan Saad, Officer on Special Duty who was carrying the dossiers to New Delhi, died allegedly in a train accident.