THE CASE OF RAMAJANMABHUMI

LAND DISPUTE AT AYODHYA, UP

It all started on 23rd Dec 1949 when idols of RAMA were placed in the middle of the floor under the
central dome of Babri Masjid, people began to go there and worship the idols, but on Dec 29th 1949 the
city Majistrate of AYODHYA took control of the whole area. The first suit was filed on Jan 16th 1950 by
one Mr. Gopalsimla Visharad in the Faizabad civil court for exclusive rights to perform Pooja there. A
temporary injunction was issued by the court not to remove the idols from there, this order was later
confirmed by the civil judge and subsequently by the division bench of the Allahabad high court. On 5th of
Dec 1950 'Paramahamsa Ramajandra Das' also filed a suite for continuation of the Pooja and keeping the
idols in the Babri Masjid, this suite was pending for 40 years and in Aug 1990 Mr. Das withdrew the case
out of shear frustration. The suite was filed in 1959 by Mr. Nirmohi Akhara seeking a direction to hand
over charge of the disputed site from the receiver. The fourth suite was filed in the year 1961 by the Uttar
Pradesh Sunni central wakf board for a declaration and position. The fifith suite was filed on july 1st 1989
in the name of 'Bhagvan Sri Ram Lalla virajman' for a declaration and postion of the land.

On Feb 1st 1986 a district judge ordered the locks on the mosque removed and the site was open for
Hindu worshipers. In the year 1989 the four suites pending at the Faizabad civil court were transferred to
the High court on a application moved by the 'UP advocate general' . On Oct 10th 1991 the UP Govt
acquired 2.77 acres of land around the disputed structure for the convenience of devotees who attend
Ram idol worship. On 7th Jan 1993 the Govt of India with the consent of the parliament took over around
67 acres of land in the disputed area and sorts the Supreme court's opinion on whether there existed the
Hindu place of worship before the Babri Masjid was built, but the Supreme court declined to answer the
question. On Oct 24th 1994 the Supreme court sent back the case to the Lucknow bench of the UP High
court and the suites were heard again from 1996.Earlier on Dec 6th 1992 a mob demolished Babri Masjid
which stood for five centuries built by 'Mughal Emperor Babur' in the year 1528.It is very interesting to
note a historical legal fact that occurred in the year 1885 when the first suite was filed by 'Mahanth
Raghubardas' who was refused permission by the deputy commissioner Faizabad to build a temple on
land adjoining the mosque, Das then filed a suite in Faizabad court against the secretary of State for India
seeking permission to build a temple on the Chabutra on the outer court yard of the Babri masjid. This
suite was dismissed on grounds that the original Ram temple was demolished in the year 1528 and it was
too late to remedy the grievance after 350 years, that is 1885.The court ordered to maintain statuesque,
this suite was revived in the year 1950. In Aug 2002 the UP High court orders a survey by the
archaeological survey of India to find out whether a temple existed below the mosque or not.

On Sept 30th 2010 Allahabad High court Lucknow bench delivered a judgment holding that one third of
the land to go Hindu temple, one third to Muslims and another one third to Nirmohi Akhara Trust. Three
months of time was given by the court for filing appeal to the Supreme Court.