Ayodhya case: Security to be tightened at disputed site ahead of Supreme Court verdict

Ahead of the verdict on the Ayodhya land dispute case, security arrangements are being tightened at the disputed site to tackle any law and order situation that might arise leading up to the Supreme Court's decision.

The security will be tightened in areas surrounding the disputed land, and the land itself in three phases.

The first phase of security arrangements has already been implemented on October 15.

The second phase of the security arrangements will be implemented from 1 November and the third phase will be implemented a few days before the decision.

Ayodhya Superintendent of Police, Rural, Shailendra Singh has been made the nodal officer ahead of the decision on the Ayodhya dispute and he will lead the security arrangement at the disputed site.

Security arrangements at Ayodhya will be divided into four zones:

1. Red Zone- The area around Ram Janmabhoomi, the security system will be the most vigilant here, no one will be allowed to enter this area without a pass on the day of the judgment.

2. Yellow Zone- Many levels of security will be present at this zone which comprises all the temples, Dharamshala, hotels, ghats, houses belonging to the disputed land.

3. Blue zone- This zone refers to the outskirts of Ayodhya in which the old Faizabad city comes. Security teams have also been deployed here. In many places, security checkpoints have also been created.

4. Green zone- All the districts adjoining Ayodhya belongs to the green zone. In areas like Ambedkaranagar, Barabanki, Basti, Gonda, Sultanpur- Policemen have been kept on alert here. All vehicles will be thoroughly investigated, if the crowds from these districts go towards Ayodhya, they will be stopped. 

153 company jawans will be deployed along with the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Rapid Action Force (RAF), and UP police in the days leading up to the verdict.

Traffic police are also being deployed in large numbers which will divert traffic from surrounding districts towards Ayodhya before the Supreme Court verdict.

Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) commandos and officials of various intelligence agencies have also camped in Ayodhya.

The disputed land will also be monitored by a drone.

The Uttar Pradesh police have appealed to all the people coming to Ayodhya to keep their identity cards with them at all times and cooperate in the security checks.

Yesterday, The Supreme Court has reserved its order on the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid land title dispute, saying that the rest of the submissions can be made in written form in the next three days, concluding the 40th and last day of the hearing.

The five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice Gogoi was hearing appeals challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict, which ordered equal division of the 2.77-acre of disputed land in Ayodhya among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the Ram Lalla.

The Supreme Court is likely to pass its judgment on the land dispute case on November 4-5.

The Ayodhya land dispute case was triggered by the demolition of the 16th-century Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.