India's Supreme Court stays verdict on Ayodhya temple

India's Supreme Court on Monday stayed Allahabad High Court’s verdict on the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute.

Petitions filed by Nirmohi Akhara, the Sunni Central Board of Wakfs, Jamait Ulama-I-Hind, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha were brought forward to the apex court's bench comprised of Justice R M Lodha and Justice Aftab Alam on Monday. The petitions challenged the verdict given by the Allahabad High Court on September 30.

The High Court’s verdict on dividing the controversial 2.77 acre of land into three parts among the Hindus, the Muslims and the Nirmohi Akhara was opposed by all the parties. The Muslims, however, believed that the verdict was delivered on the basis of belief and not on verification.

The parties, moreover, maintained that the land cannot be divided for sharing. The September 30 judgment stated that the vicinity enclosed by the central dome of the mosque, where the statue of Lord Ram is located, belonged to the Hindus.

It was initially decided that the controversial land would be divided among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the Ram Lalla Virajman but later changed giving the main area to the Hindus.