New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday (December 12) said that matter of challenging provisions of the Places of Worship Act, 19911 is sub judice and no further petitions can be registered and no other court shall pass any specific directions of surveys till it hears the matter the disposes it off.
A three-judge special bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan said that its direction includes that no other court shall pass any specific directions of surveys, no effective interim order till the court concludes this case.
“As the matter is subjudice before this court we deem it fit to direct that no fresh suits shall be registered or proceedings be ordered. In the pending suits courts would not pass any effective order or final orders. When a matter is pending before us is it just and fair for any other court to examine it. We are on vires as well as ambit of the act,” the bench said and added, “Our direction includes that no other court shall pass any specific directions of surveys, no effective interim order shall be passed till the court concludes this case.”
The bench also allowed several applications seeking impleadment in the several petitions pending before the top court challenging the constitutional validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 and directed the Centre to file its counter affidavit on the matter within four weeks. The bench also directed the respondents to file their counter-affidavits and directed the petitioner to file the rejoinder within four weeks after the counter-affidavit.
The apex court, which is seized of several petitions challenging the provisions of the Places of Worship Act, recently constituted a three-judge bench headed by CJI Khanna to hear the matter.
