The Supreme Court on Thursday (December 12) barred civil courts across the country from registering fresh suits challenging the ownership and title of any place of worship, and from ordering surveys of disputed religious places until further orders. The Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna also directed that “in pending suits, the courts would not pass any effective interim orders or final orders including orders of survey till the next date of hearing”. Also comprising Justices P V Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan, the Bench was hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. Brought in the wake of the Ayodhya movement, the law prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of places of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947. Only the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute was kept out of the purview of the law since the case was already sub judice. Here is a list of 10 pending suits on mosque-temple disputes.
