SC lifts stay on Ayodhya verdict by Allahabad HC

Agencies

New Delhi, 28 September 2010: The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted its interim stay order on the contentious Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case verdict which is to be delivered by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

 

A three-judge special bench comprising of Chief Justice of India SH Kapadia, Justice Aftab Alam and Justice KS Radhakrishnan announced that the three-judge High Court bench could go ahead with the pronouncement of judgement while dismissing the petition of Ramesh Chandra Tripathi that had appealed for deferment of the verdict so that an out-of-court settlement could be tried.

 

All the three judges concurred that the stay order must be lifted and dismissed Tripathi’s petition.

 

However, the apex court has not set a date for the High Court to deliver the verdict. The three-judge special bench of the High Court comprising of Justice SU Khan, Justice Sudhir Agrawal and Justice Dharam Veer Sharma is scheduled to deliver the verdict. Justice Dharam Veer Sharma will be retiring on October 1.

 

 

Senior lawyer Ravi Shankar Prasad, appearing for Mahant Raghuvar Das, argued that when three prime ministers have failed in reconciliation there was no point in deferment.

 

The verdict in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit dispute would decide whether the 2.77 acres of disputed land on which Babri Masjid stood before it was demolished on December 6, 1992, belongs to Sunni Central Wakf Board or to the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha.

 

All you want to know about the Ayodhya dispute

 

Who stands where

Sunni Waqf Board: Opposed to deferment

Nirmohi Akhara: Want deferment by 3 months

Nirmohi Akhara: Want to see out-of-court settlement options

Hindu Mahasabha: Opposed to deferment

Gopal Visharad: Opposed to deferment

Centre: To declare today whether it supports postponement

Options before the Supreme Court

The apex court can either vacate the day or continues with stay even as the parties are unwilling to reconcile. The court also needs to consider the stand of the Centre on the issue.

Ayodhya title dispute

December 1949: Idols of Ram Lalla & Sita Mata appear ’miraculously’ inside the Babri Mosque.

Hindus claim lord Ram has appeared in his birth land, hence land belongs to Hindus.

Total of five title suits filed before the courts claiming ownership of the land.

Two title suits clubbed. Now there are four title suits pending before the courts.

First suit filed on Jan 16, 1950, seeking permission to worship deities in the disputed structure, second suit filed in Dec 1950 by Head of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, seeking permission to worship deities, first two suits clubbed together by Civil Judge in Faizabad.

Third suit filed in Dec 1959 by Nirmohi Akhara seeking to take charge of the ’temple’ from a rival.

Fourth suit filed by Sunni Central Boards of Waqfs, UP, in Dec 1961 seeking removal of idols & possession of mosque.

In April, 1964, all three suits filed by Hindus and the one filed by the Waqf Board are consolidated.

In 1989, petition on behalf of Ram Lalla filed by retired HC Judge claiming ownership of disputed land.

In 1989 Allahabad HC rules that a special three-judge bench will hear all five suits in the lower courts.

HC directs all parties to maintain status quo at the site till matter is finished.

Babri land dispute

1528: Babri Masjid is built, Hindus claim the land was built after demolishing a temple.

1859: British erect fences to separate Hindu, Muslim areas of worship.

1949: Hindus & Muslims file title suits claiming the land, the government takes over the disputed site.

1994: SC orders status quo on all cases till the title suit is settled.

December, 1992: Babri Masjid is razed by kar sevaks, 2,000 people die in post-demolition riots.

Attempts at amicable settlement

Dec 1990: Meeting between Babri Masjid Action Committee & VHP

Hindus: Muslims should respect sentiments

Muslims: Issue can’t be dragged backwards

Dec 1990: Hindus & Muslims meet in presence of Mulayam Singh, Sharad Pawar & Bhairon Singh Shekhawat

Hindus: Excavations reveal a temple under the mosque

Muslims: No evidence that temple was destroyed to build mosque

Jan 1991: Meeting between Babri Masjid Action Committee & VHP

Hindus: Remains of temple under the mosque

Muslims: No evidence that temple was destroyed to build mosque