NEW DELHI: India's Supreme Court Monday suspended what it suggested was a flawed ruling that partitioned the land belonging to Babri Masjid in the north Indian town of Ayodhya. The two-justice bench stayed the September order of the Allahabad High Court that had carved the site into three sections — one for Hindus, one for Muslims and one for a local Hindu trust. Both justices questioned what had prompted the lower court to split up the site when none of the numerous claimants had requested such a partition. “The High Court has carved out a new relief which was never asked for. This is something that has to be corrected,” said Justice R.M. Lodha, while Justice Aftab Alam described the ruling as “quite strange”. The comments came on the first day of a Supreme Court hearing of suits from multiple petitioners challenging the Allahabad court order. In staying the September ruling, the court said the “status quo” should be maintained at the site, thus preventing any groups from building on their allotted portions. In 1992, the 16th-century Babri Masjid was razed by Hindu zealots, sparking riots that killed more than 2,000 people, mostly Muslims. Zafaryab Jilani, a lawyer for one of the Muslim groups involved, said he was “satisfied” with the stay order. “Everybody had claimed for exclusive rights, so the Supreme Court is completely justified in staying the High court judgement,” Jilani said.
