SC examined wealth of material before clearing way for temple

Supreme Court Saturday cleared way for construction of a Ram Temple at disputed site at Ayodhya and directed Centre to allot a 5-acre plot to Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque after examining "wealth of material" which emerged during course of trial in Allahabad High Court. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi perused 533 documentary exhibits, including religious texts, travelogues, archaeological excavation reports, photographs of site prior to demolition of mosque and details of artifacts found at disputed site. Apart from that, exhibits also included gazetteers and translations of inscriptions on pillars.

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Oral evidence examined

bench, also comprising Justices S A  Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, and S Abdul Nazeer, went through oral evidence of over 88 witnesses, including historians, experts on religious matters and archaeologists. apex court also examined statement of parties who had filed four suits seeking ownership of site and permission to offer prayers re. first suit was filed on January 16, 1950, by a Hindu devotee- Gopal Singh Visharad alleging he was being prevented by government officials from entering inner courtyard to worship.

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Several suits filed

second suit was filed on December 5, 1950 by Paramhans Ramchandra Das seeking similar reliefs as Visharad. However, it was withdrawn on September 18, 1990. reafter, on December 17, 1959, a third suit was filed by Nirmohi Akhara claiming that its absolute right of managing affairs of site and temple had been impacted by magistrate's order and sought that manment and charge of temple and site be handed over to it. Subsequently, Sunni Central Waqf Board and nine Muslim residents of Ayodhya filed a suit on December 18, 1961, seeking a declaration that entire disputed site of Babri Masjid was a public mosque, place be handed over to m and idols be removed. fifth suit was filed on July 1, 1989, by deity and birth-place, through a next friend, for a declaration of title to disputed premises and to restrain anyone from interfering with or raising any objection to construction of a temple re. 

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