Supreme Court stays verdict on Ayodhya title suit

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Allahabad High Court’s verdict of dividing the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya in three parts, terming the judgement as “something strange”.The court, while staying the September 30, 2010 judgement of the Lucknow bench of the High Court, ordered status quo at the site.A bench of justices Aftab Alam and R.M. Lodha, while terming the high court’s judgement “as something strange,” said the partition of the land was ordered despite none of the parties to the dispute seeking it.

While directing that there shall be no religious activity on the 67 acre land acquired by the central government adjacent to the disputed structure, the apex court bench said the status quo shall be maintained with regard to the rest of the land.

In the wake of the court’s order, prayers at Ram Lala’s make-shift temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya would go on as usual.The Lucknow bench of the high court had in September last year passed the verdict directing partition of the 2.77 acre on which the disputed structure once stood into three parts among Muslims, Hindus and Nirmohi Akhara. 

'HC verdict strange'

“A new dimension was given by the high court as the decree of partition was not sought by the parties. It was not prayed by anyone. It has to be stayed. Its a strange order,” the bench said.Expressing surprise over the high court’s verdict, the bench observed, “How can a decree of partition be passed when none of the parties had prayed for it.“Court has done something on its own. It’s strange.Such kind of decrees cannot be allowed to be in operation,” the bench said while staying the high court's verdict.It is a difficult situation now, the position is that it (the high court verdict) has created litany of litigation,” the bench observed. 

Although the appeals filed by various Hindu and Muslim religious organisations pertained to only 2.77 acre of disputed land, the bench, however, also ordered status quo on the 67 acre of land adjacent to the disputed site.The bench was hearing a batch of appeals filed by Nirmohi Akhara, Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, Jamait Ulama-I-Hind and Sunni Central Wakf Board, besides the one filed on behalf of Bhagwan Ram Virajman. 

The Wakf Board and Jamait Ulama-I-Hind have submitted that the high court’s verdict should be quashed as it was based on faith and not on evidence. They have contended that the court has committed an error by holding that the demolished Babri mosque stood at Lord Ram’s birth place.They have contended that claims of Muslims, Hindus and the Nirmohi Akhara over the disputed site were mutually exclusive and could not be shared.

Courtesy : The Hindu