Supreme Court orders Centre to set up trust for temple construction

Supreme Court today ordered the Centre to formulate a scheme within three to four months to set up a Trust and hand over the disputed site at Ayodhya to it for construction of the temple and give a suitable alternative plot measuring five acres to Sunni Wakf Board. Pronouncing the historic verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the judgment is unanimous.

The five-member bench observed that the disputed 2.77 acre land will remain with the Central Government Receiver. It said Nirmohi Akhara will be given representation in the Trust if accepted by Central Government. The apex court dismissed the Akhara's plea seeking control of entire disputed land. The bench said, damage to Babri mosque was a violation of the law. The Chief Justice said, the court set up under Constitutional scheme, should defer from



interfering with faith and belief of worshipers.

The court said, Hindus consider this place as the birthplace of Lord Ram and even Muslims say this about the disputed place. It also observed that the mosque was not built on vacant land. It added that terming the archaeological evidence as merely an opinion would be a great disservice to the Archaeological Survey of India, ASI.

It further stated that ASI has not established whether a temple was demolished to build the mosque. It also pointed out that the underlying structure was not an Islamic structure. The bench said that the fact that there lay a temple beneath the destroyed structure has been established by ASI. It said evidence suggests that Muslims offered Friday prayers at the mosque which indicates they have not lost possession.