Ayodhya land dispute: SC asks Nirmohi Akhara to come prepared with evidence

The Supreme Court Wednesday felt that a Hindu body, which is claiming right over the entire 2.77 acre of disputed land at Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya, has to be given an opportunity to come out with revenue records, documentary and oral evidence to establish its possession.

The apex court found that Nirmohi Akhara was ill-prepared to proceed with its arguments on the issues.

On the second day of the day-to-day hearing, the top court stopped senior advocate Sushil Jain, who was arguing on behalf of Nirmoni Akhara, saying that he has to come prepared with "good piece" of evidence to buttress the claim over the possession of the property.

"Now, we are dealing with the possession. You have to establish the possession. If you have any revenue record in your favour then it is a very good piece of evidence in your favour," said the bench, comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer.

When the bench was asking Nirmohi Akhara for oral, documentary proof, revenue records, Jain said they are handicapped there.

He said a dacoity happened in 1982 and they lost the records.

While giving chance to Nirmohi Akhara to come prepared with the chart of evidence and other documents, the bench proceeded with the hearing by asking senior advocate K Prasaran to put forward his arguments for deity 'Ram Lalla', another party in the case.

The top court is hearing 14 appeals filed against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.