NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India in its Historic Judgment on Saturday on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute has declared that the entire 2.77 disputed land will be given to Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas under a trust that has to be formed by the Center within 3 months time. The Sunni Waqf Board will get alternate land of 5 acres within Ayodhya to build a mosque. While delivering the Judgment, the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said that the “Judgment is unanimous” by the Division Bench comprising 5 Judges- Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer. The Supreme Court clearly mentioned that the disputed land will be given to Ram Janmabhoomi Nayas with a trust to be formed by the Center within 3 months to monitor the construction of Ram Temple.

The bench upheld the report of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which concluded that a temple existed at the disputed site. There is clear evidence the Hindus believe Ram was born at the disputed site, it said.

The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by the All India Shia Personal Law Board which stated the disputed land belongs to them. The petition filed by Nirmohi Akhara was also dismissed.

The Chief Justice made it clear that the verdict was based on historical, religious and legal aspects. According to the verdict the Babri Masjid was not built on the vacant land.

The Ayodhya title suit verdict comes nine years after the 2:1 judgment of the Allahabad High Court that ordered a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acres of land between the three parties — Ram Lalla, Sunni Waqf Board and the Nirmohi Akhara. The Lucknow Bench of the High Court, on September 30, 2010, held that Hindus and Muslims as joint title holders of the disputed land.

Delivering the verdict, the Supreme Court said archaeological excavations suggest that there was an underlying structure under the Babri Masjid which was "not of Islamic origin". It said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) could not suggest that there was a temple of the 12th century at the disputed site. It said the ASI has not specifically said that the underlying structure was a temple.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said the ASI report has left unanswered a critical part of its remit i.e. whether a Hindu temple was demolished to construct the Babri Masjid. The Supreme Court said there is no archaeological evidence of what existed between the 12th century and the 16the century when the Babri Masjid was built.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi while reading the verdict and said that it was inappropriate for the court to go into the domain of theology. The Supreme Court has made it clear that the land title must be decided only on legal principles.

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