SC to hear two more petitions on Ayodhya

A Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha admitted the special leave petitions filed by Akhil Bhartiya Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Samiti (ABSRJM) and one Farooq Ahmed and tagged them with the main matter already pending before the court.

During the brief hearing, the Sunni Waqf Board opposed the plea of ABSRJM contending it was not a party to the civil dispute before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court.

The Bench, however, said it would hear the objections raised by the counsel at the time of hearing of the case. “If we would not hear them, where else would they go,” the court said admitting the petitions.

The apex court on May 9 stayed the operation of the High Court’s verdict delivered on September 30, last year. The court had then termed the High Court’s judgment dividing the disputed 2.77 acre land in three portions as strange saying none of the party sought for it.

A number of appeals have already been filed on behalf of Hindu and Muslim organisations including Nirmohi Akhara, Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, Jamait Ulama-I-Hind, and Sunni Central Wakf Board.