Petition seeks review of Ayodhya verdict

A petition seeking review of one of the judgments in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits was on Tuesday filed before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court.

The review petition was filed by M Ismail Farooqi seeking review of the judgment passed on September 30 in the title suit of Bhgawan Ram Lalla Virajman and others by the special three-judge full bench. The petitioner prayed that in the interest of justice, the impugned judgment may be reviewed as the suit was "highly time-barred".

Farooqi had last week moved two other review petitions in two other suits of the Nirmohi Akhara and Rajendra Singh. All these review petitions are likely to be placed before the special full bench on December 10.

On September 30, a three-judge Lucknow bench of the court had held that the 2.77 acre disputed land in Ayodhya be divided into three parts among Hindus and Muslims. It had ruled that the place where the makeshift temple of Lord Rama currently exists belongs to the Hindus.

The majority 2-1 verdict running into nearly 8,000 pages had come after nearly 60 years of tortuous litigation over who holds the title to the disputed site. Justices S U Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and D V Sharma had written separate judgments but the majority verdict held that the area covered by the central dome of the three-domed structure where the Ram idol is presently situated belongs to Hindus.

Justices Khan and Agarwal had said the entire disputed land should be divided into three equal parts, each to be given to the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the parties representing Ram Lalla Virajman (the seated baby Ram). The majority judges had declared maintenance of status quo at the disputed land for three months.

An official has said the preliminary decree on the Allahabad high court verdict on Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits has been prepared and the parties have been asked to file their objections or suggestions within six working days from Monday. The hearing to finalise the decree will take place on December 10.