Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi Dispute: SC Verdict on Plea For Hearing by Larger Bench Likely on September 28

The plea seeks reconsideration by a larger bench the observations made by it in a 1994 verdict that a mosque was not integral to Islam.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce on September 28 its verdict on a plea seeking that the batch of petitions challenging its 1994 ruling in the long-standing Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute be heard by larger bench.

The top court had reserved its order on the plea by Muslim groups on July 20 seeking reconsideration by a larger bench the observations made by it in a 1994 verdict that a mosque was not integral to Islam.

M Siddiq, one of the original litigants of the Ayodhya case who has died and is being represented through his legal heir, had assailed certain findings of the 1994 verdict in the case of M Ismail Faruqui holding that a mosque was not integral to the prayers offered by the followers of Islam.

It was argued by Muslim groups before a special bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer that the “sweeping” observation of the apex court in the verdict needed to be reconsidered by a five-judge bench as “it had and will have a bearing” on the Babri Masjid-Ram Temple land dispute case.

Earlier, Hindu groups had opposed the plea of their Muslim counterparts that the 1994 verdict holding that a mosque was not integral to the prayers offered by the followers of Islam be referred to a larger bench.

The observations were made in the land acquisition matter pertaining to the Ayodhya site and the apex court had to consider two aspects as to whether a mosque could be acquired at all and whether a religious place of worship like a mosque, church or temple was immune from acquisition if it is a place of special significance for that religion and formed an essential and integral part of that religion.

The special bench of the apex court is seized of a total of 14 appeals filed against the high court judgement delivered in four civil suits.

A three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had in 2010 ordered that the land be partitioned equally among three parties — the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

(With PTI inputs)