Ayodhya verdict on Sept 24

The fate of the 60-year-old civil case for the title of the disputed shrine in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, would be decided on September 24, when a three-member Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court will pronounce its judgment.

Both the state and the central governments are apprehensive that the court’s decision might have an adverse religious and political reaction, which will affect the law and order situation not only in Uttar Pradesh but also in the remaining parts of the country.

Justices S U Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and D V Sharma said the judgment would be pronounced by the special bench on September 24. The bench has to deliver the verdict before the end of this month, as one of the judges is scheduled to retire on September 30.

Sensing that the decision on the ownership of the disputed land might lead to a serious law and order problem in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government has already deployed 35 companies of paramilitary and armed state police units to monitor the fluid situation in Ayodhya.

The first civil case on the ownership was filed in 1950 by Gopal Singh Visharad to start pooja (worship) of Lord Ram at the shrine. In the same year, another case was also filed at the Faizabad civil court by Paramhans Ramchandra Das seeking removal of restriction to conduct religious ceremonies at the disputed shrine.

Nine years later, members of a religious sect, Nirmohi Akhara, filed a civil suit at the Faizabad court in 1959, demanding directions to hand over the charge of the disputed shrine from the receiver to the sect. Within two years, in 1961, the UP Sunni Central Board of Waqfs also filed a case in the local court, claiming possession of the disputed shrine.

The fifth and last suit was filed in 1989 by Devki Nandan Aggarwal, who was then an important functionary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Uttar Pradesh.