Mosque row: Rule of law will prevail, says HC, seeks ASI's ATR

"The rule of law will be enforced, even if heavens fall let it fall," remarked a full bench headed by Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and ordered the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to file the report by next Friday.

The bench, also comprising justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Rajiv Shakdher, was hearing two separate pleas of the police and the MLA to keep in abeyance its earlier order to demolish the structure.

The bench also asked the ASI to file a list of articles, collected from the site and handed over to it by the MCD.

"The ASI to file action-taken-report (ATR) along with the list of articles and also its proposed plan of action to proceed further," the bench said and made it clear that it would see the ASI's ATR before deciding the applications of police and Matia Mahal MLA Shoaib Iqbal.

The bench had asked ASI on July 30 to demolish the structure within 15 days to ascertain if any Mughal-era mosque existed on the site.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on August 31. (More)