Nirmohi Akhara opposes in SC Centre’s move to return land

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 9 

Nirmohi Akhara, one of the parties to the Ayodhya dispute, moved the Supreme Court on Tuesday against the Centre’s plea for permission to return 67.39-acre “non-disputed” acquired land around the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site to its original owners.

In an application filed in the top court, Nirmohi Akhara said the Centre had proposed returning the land to Ram Janambhoomi Nyas (RJN) and there were many temples on the acquired land whose rights would be affected if the land was returned to one party. The Centre had on January 29 requested the Supreme Court to modify its March 31, 2003, order to maintain status quo on surplus land until resolution of the dispute and permit it to return the “non-disputed” land around the disputed site to the original owners.

It had said the 0.313 acre plot on which the disputed structure stood before December 6, 1992, demolition was within the 2.77-acre disputed premises. The PV Narasimha Rao government had acquired 67.703 acres, including the 2.77 acre, through a law in 1993. The acquisition was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1994 in Ismail Faruqui’s case in which it had said if the Centre wanted to return the acquired land to its original owners, it may.

The Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas (RJN) was the owner of 42 acres of the non-disputed land before acquisition and it has sought return of excess land acquired.