Ayodhya verdict: Allahabad High Court says divide land in 3 ways

Courtesy: NDTV / Hindustan Times

Lucknow, September 30, 2010: Sixty years after it first went to court, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has pronounced judgment in the Ayodhya title suit.

The three-judge bench has ruled in a majority judgement 2:1, that one-third part of the disputed land will go to the Sunni Waqf Board, one-third to the Nirmohi Akhara and one-third to the party for ’Ram Lalla’.

The High Court judgment says the portion below the central dome under which the idols of Ram and other Gods are placed belongs to would be allotted to Hindus. The Nirmohi Akhara would get the Ram Chabutra and Sita Rasoi. The inner courtyard belongs to both communities, it says.

 

The judgement provides that division of the land should begin in three months. The judgement observes that the building was not used by Muslims to offer prayers. The court dismissed the suit filed by the Sunni Waqf Board.

The Sunni Waqf Board has said it will appeal in the Supreme Court against today’s Ayodhya judgment delivered in Lucknow. The Waqf board, one of the main litigants, says it doesn’t agree with the decision.

After judgement was pronounced a little after 4 pm, litigants emerged from the courtroom with copies and there was chaos outside the Lucknow court.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court comprising Justice S U Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice D V Sharma, delivered the judgement today.

The dispute before the court was whether the 2.7 acres of disputed land on which the Babri Masjid stood before it was demolished on December 6, 1992, belongs to the Sunni Central Waqf Board or to the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha.

It has been a protracted legal battle, and people across the country have spoken in one voice on the need to maintain peace and harmony irrespective of the verdict.


WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
Justice S U Khan
 "Disputed structure was constructed as mosque by or under orders of Babar. It is not proved by direct evidence that premises in dispute including constructed portion belong to Babar or the person who constructed the mosque. No temple was demolished for constructing the mosque, but it was constructed on the ruins of the temple or some of its material was used in the construction of the mosque."

Justice Sudhir Agarwal
" It is declared that the area covered by the central dome of the three domed structure, the disputed structure being the deity of Bhagwan Ram Janma Sthan and place of birth of Lord Rama as per faith and belief of the Hindus, belong to plaintiff- Bhagwan Sri Ram Virajman. and shall not be obstructed or interfered in any manner by the defendants, Rajendra Singh and others."

Justice Dharam Veer Sharma
" The disputed site is the birth place of Lord Rama. Disputed building was constructed by Babar, the year is not certain, but it was built against the tenets of Islam. Thus it cannot have the character of a mosque. The disputed structure was constructed on the site of old structure after demolition of the same. The ASI has proved that the structure was a massive Hindu religious structure. The idols were placed in the middle dome of the disputed structure in the intervening night of 22/23 December 1949."


Verdict opens up ’chance for reconciliation’: Muslim panel member
The Allahabad High Court decision on the disputed Ayodhya site has opened up a "chance for reconciliation" between Hindus and Muslims of India, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said Thursday after the verdict. "I would not like to jump to conclusions right now but there could be a mandir and a masjid existing along side in Ayodhya in the larger interest of the nation. The court has opened up some consensus for us and a chance for reconciliation," Kamal Farooqui told reporters here.

He said India had become a "matured nation" and "we will move forward". But he refused to say whether the ruling favoured Hindu or Muslim groups.
"It’s too early to interpret the judgment. We are studying it and ultimately the rule of law has to prevail."

A majority ruling of the three-judge bench said the site would be divided into three - one for the Muslims, one for the Hindus and the third for the Nirmohi Akhara.


Verdict not a win or loss, invite all to help build temple: RSS
Appealing for restraint, the RSS on Thursday said the Allahabad High Court verdict on Ayodhya title suit should not been seen as anybody’s victory or defeat and sought people’s support for construction of a Ram temple. "The judgement has paved the way for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya...The judgement is not a win or loss for anybody. We invite everybody, including Muslims, to help build the temple," Sarsangchalak Mohan Bhagwat told reporters.

"The court verdict should not be seen as anybody’s victory or defeat," he reiterated. Bhagwat also said the joy and happiness over the verdict should find expression in a "controlled and peaceful manner" within the limits of law and constitution.

"Uncalled for provocation must be avoided," he said adding, the movement for a Ram temple was "not a reactionary one nor it is against any particular community." Bhagwat also appealed to the Muslims to "forget the past".

Allahabad High Court Judgement: How The Judges Ruled

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