Ayodhya Verdict: Supreme Court awards land to Hindu side; Muslims to get alternative plot for mosque

The Supreme Court of India (SC), on November 9, delivered its historic verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case.

The nation’s top court ruled that disputed land will be given to the Centre. The Centre will form a trust within three months. The trust will monitor and manage construction of a temple. The Sunni Waqf Board will be given an alternate and suitable five acre land at a prominent place in Ayodhya.

The judgement was delivered by a five-judge Constitutional Bench comprising outgoing Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde (CJI elect), DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer.

The matter before the apex court was an appeal against the verdict delivered by the Allahabad High Court in 2010.

The High Court had, in the absence of a title, divided the 2.7 acre disputed land in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh equally between the three primary parties -- Ram Lalla Virajman, Nirmohi Akhara and Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board.

The verdict, pronounced shortly after the Court convened at 10.30 am, came after all parties presented their arguments to the bench in a 40-day marathon daily hearing. The bench had reserved the judgement on October 16.

Ahead of the judgement in the sensitive case, security had been beefed up across the country. Special measures had been taken by security forces in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh where the disputed site is situated. Section 144 was imposed in Uttar Pradesh.

Security had also been stepped up in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and Mumbai, Maharashtra.

(This is a developing story. More details are awaited. This story will be updated)