Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind moves SC against HC ruling on Ayodhya

The title dispute on Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid structure reached the Supreme Court with Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) challenging the Allahabad High Court's verdict of dividing the land into three parts among Muslims, Hindus and Nirmohi Akhara.

The title dispute on Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid structure reached the Supreme Court with Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) challenging the Allahabad High Court's verdict of dividing the land into three parts among Muslims, Hindus and Nirmohi Akhara.

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Challenging the High Court's verdict, the JUH submitted in the appeal that the judgement is based on faith and not on evidence.

"It is humbly submitted that the mosque was illegally demolished. However, the ruins still exist. The foundation of the mosque is still intact. Title would not extinguish by demolishing the mosque. Therefore, it was incumbent on the court to uphold the rule of law and not to validate an illegal act," the appeal filed by Anis Suhrawady said.

It was further submitted that the decision to divide the disputed land in three parts was wrong.

"It was nobody's case in the High Court that the Muslims, Hindus and Nirmohi Akhara were in joint possession of the disputed premises. The claims of the three sets of plaintiffs were mutually exclusive in the sense each set of plaintiffs claimed the entire property as its own and no one sought a decree for partition of the property," the appeal said.

A 3-judge bench of the High Court had passed three separate judgements on September 30 but the majority verdict held that the area covered by the central dome of the three-domed structure, where the idol of Lord Rama is situated, belongs to Hindus.

All the three judges of the High Court were unanimous on the ownership of the place where the makeshift temple exists.

While two judges were of the view that the entire disputed land should be divided into three equal parts, each to be given to Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and the parties representing 'Ram Lalla Virajman' (seated Baby Ram), one of the judges held that the entire disputed area belonged to Hindus.