Centre to set up trust for temple construction in Ayodhya, Muslims to get alternate land

The Supreme Court on Saturday ruled that a central government-run trust will helm construction of a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and a "suitable" plot of land in the holy city will be given to the Sunni Waqf Board for a mosque.

"Central government shall form in three to four months a scheme for setting up of a trust. They shall make necessary arrangements for the management of the trust and construction of the temple. The possession of inner and outer courtyard shall be handed over to the trust," Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said while announcing the landmark verdict.

The apex court further directed the government to give an alternate plot of land for the construction of a mosque.

A five-judge constitution bench presided by Chief Justice Gogoi and comprising Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer passed the order on a batch of petitions against an order of the Allahabad High Court which trifurcated the site between the parties -- Ramlalla Virajman, Sunni Central Waqf Board and Nirmohi Akhara.

A decades-long legal dispute was fought by right-wing party Hindu Mahasabha, a sect of Hindu monks Nirmohi Akhara and Muslim Waqf Board over 2.77 acres of land in Ayodhya.