The Hindu : HC orders speedy disposal of Ayodhya case

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 21, 2002

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HC orders speedy disposal of Ayodhya case

By J.P. Shukla

LUCKNOW MARCH 20. The Allahabad High Court today directed uninterrupted recording of evidence for a speedy disposal of the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case.

Even during the period when the Lucknow Bench of the High Court was not hearing the case, recording of evidence could go on by a Commission, the Court ruled.

Any objections regarding the maintainability of evidence could be decided later by the Bench and the Commission could meanwhile proceed with the recording of evidence, observed the High Court Bench comprising Justice Sudhir Narain, Justice Rafat Alam and Justice Bhanwar Singh sitting at Lucknow.

The Bench disposed of the Union Government's petition pleading for a day-to-day hearing in the case without making specific observations whether the petition was accepted or rejected, but noted that the need for a speedy disposal of the case had been emphasised by everyone.

The court was already hearing the case expeditiously and had given detailed directives in this regard in an earlier order on July 12 last when a similar petition had been filed pleading for a day-to-day hearing of the case.

In that order, the court had stated that looking into all aspects of the case it was not feasible to direct that the evidence be recorded by a single judge alone.

However, with regard to a speedy disposal of the case, it had directed the parties concerned to cooperate and keep the witnesses ready so that recording of the evidence could proceed on a day-to-day basis.

The Central Government, while pleading for a day-to-day hearing, however, had submitted last Tuesday that it would not be a party to the case. The plea was opposed by various contenders on the ground that it was nowhere involved in the dispute.

It was argued that the Central Government must come forward to implead itself as a party to the suit to have a locus standi.

The court has already made it clear that the Central Government could not be arraigned as a party in the title suit.

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