New Delhi, Dec 12: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a directive restraining all courts across the country from passing any effective interim or final orders, including orders for surveys, in ongoing cases related to existing religious structures.
The order came as the court heard petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, and Justices P.V. Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Viswanathan, ruled that no new suits would be registered on these issues while the case remains under consideration.
The court clarified that while suits could be filed, no action would be taken or proceedings allowed until further notice from the court. Specifically, it prohibited the issuance of any interim or final orders, including those involving surveys, in cases already pending.
The court was informed that 18 such suits are currently pending in various lower courts, with claims against 10 mosques or shrines. These cases involve disputes over religious sites, and their outcome could be affected by the ongoing constitutional challenge to the Places of Worship Act.
The bench also granted the central government four weeks to file an affidavit in response to petitions challenging provisions of the 1991 Act. The Act, which prohibits the filing of lawsuits to reclaim or alter the character of places of worship as they were on August 15, 1947, has been a point of contention.
Petitioners argue that it infringes upon the rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs, preventing them from restoring places of worship or pilgrimage sites allegedly destroyed by invaders.
