Can janmasthan be party to dispute: SC

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

The Supreme Court today sought to know from the counsel representing Ram Lalla if the “janmasthan” (birth place of deity) can itself be regarded as a juristic person that can fight a case.

On the third day of hearing, a Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi noted that Hindu deities had been legally treated as juristic person and can possess properties and defend themselves in lawsuits or intervene in cases.

However, it wondered if “janam sthanam” can file a case in the land dispute as a party. “Whether the birth place can be held to be a juristic or juridical person. So far as idols of deities are concerned, they had been held to be a juristic person,” the Bench, which also included Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer asked senior counsel K Parasaran, who represented Ram Lalla.

“In Hindu religion, idols are not necessary for a place to be regarded as a holy place of worship.... Rivers and sun are also worshipped in Hinduism and the birth place in itself can be treated as a juristic person,” Parasaran responded.

Highlighting the importance of birth place, Parasaran recited a Sanskrit shloka, “Janani janmbhoomis cha swargadapi gariyasi”, and went on to translate it to say that a birth place was greater than heaven.