SC rejects plea against Ayodhya excavations

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a writ petition challenging the Allahabad high court's order to excavate the disputed site at Ayodhya to determine whether a temple stood there in ancient times.

When the petition filed by Naved Yar Khan came up for hearing, a bench comprising Justice S Rajendra Babu and Justice G P Mathur said, "We will not take up a writ petition against a high court order."

"You can file a special leave petition and seek the permission of the court to challenge the order," the bench said, referring to the objections raised by the registry on Khan's petition.

The Lucknow [ Images ] bench of the Allahabad high court, which is hearing the suits claiming ownership over 2.77 acres of disputed land at Ayodhya, had on March 5 directed the Archaeological Survey of India [ Images ] to excavate the site to ascertain whether a temple pre-dated the Babri Masjid [ Images ].

Khan submitted that as a Muslim his fundamental rights were affected by this order. But the Supreme Court said no fundamental rights were involved in a matter being decided on the basis of the suits and told the petitioner to first cure the defects pointed out by the registry.

The petitioner sought a week's time to do the needful, which the court granted.

PTI