Supreme Court extends stay on Ayodhya case ruling

As a sequel to the ongoing law suits raising concerns on the Allahabad high court’s September last year verdict that divide the disputed the Ram Mandir and the demolish Ayodhya mosque into three parts, the Supreme Court has admitted two more petitions and allowed continuation of stay on the controversial ruling.

A bench of Justices Aftab Alam and RM Lodha on Monday said the fresh law suits filed by Akhil Bhartiya Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Samiti and one Farooq Ahmed would be heard along with other petitions.

A vigilant Sunni Waqf Board contested the right Ram Janmabhoomi Samiti to intervene in the matter saying it was never a party before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court. However, judges said they would examine the petitioner’s locus standi at the time of regular hearing of the appeals raising strong doubts on legality of the verdict.

In May last, the bench had termed the judgment as ‘strange’ which also “created a litany of litigation.” All the petitioners irrespective of their religious beliefs and shades had sought quashing of the mammoth HC ruling and have sought restoration of the status quo order passed by the SC in 1994 and March 2002 in respect of the activities on the 67.703 acres of government land.