Babri Masjid Case study: The Timeline of 500 years

With this piece, we take a look at the Babri Masjid case study. We take a look at the timeline and the court results. Let’s jump right in the piece!

The entire debate was over the site in Ayodhya of whether the Babri Masjid was built by demolishing the Ram temple. And finally, to whom did the land belongs – Hindus or Muslims. Hindus claimed that the site was the birthplace of Hindu deity Lord Ram and mosque was built thereafter demolishing the Ram temple whereas Muslims claimed that the Ram temple never existed at that site. To know about the entire Babri Masjid case, let’s look at the timeline of events.

Babri Masjid case study: The Timeline

1528: It is believed that the place where the Ram Mandir was situated, it was demolished by Mughal emperor Babur’s commander Mir Baqi and a mosque was built in the honour of their emperor Babur and hence named it as Babri Masjid.

1885: A plea was filed in Faizabad district court by Mahant Raghubir Das asking for building a canopy of Lord Ram for worship on Ram Chabootra. This plea was rejected by the court.

1949: It is said that some unidentified people placed the idols of Lord Ram inside the mosque and claimed that the deity has miraculously arrived in the temple.

After these events, court cases begun.

1950: Gopal Singh Visharad and Paramahansa Ramchandra Das filed a suit in court for the right to worship the idols found in the mosque. The plea was rejected. Along with this, the entire site was sealed and banned for both Hindus as well as Muslims.

1959: Nirmohi Akhara filed a suit for seeking possession of the site.

1961: UP Sunni Central Waqf Board filed a suit for seeking possession of the site and stated that since it is a mosque and all mosques and cemetery areas are Waqf property, they were the rightful owners of the site.

1986: Due to internal politics, the local court gave permission to open the gates of mosque and Hindus were allowed to enter and worship the idols. This led to the formation of rebellion amongst the Muslims.

Dec 6, 1992: During a political rally, a mob of Kar Sevaks demolished the Babri Masjid which led to communal riots all across the country and resulted in deaths of 2000 people. After this, again the site was sealed and all the court cases were clubbed and brought under Allahabad bench in 1988.

Sept 30, 2010: Allahabad High Court gave its verdict of a three-way division of the disputed area between Ram Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Waqf Board. But this decision was not acceptable to any of these parties and hence they moved to the Supreme Court.

Jan 2019: CJI Ranjan Gogoi sets up a 5 judge bench consisting of – CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Ashok Bhushan, DY Chandrachud, SA Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer to resolve the case. Finally, in September, the hearing continued for 40 days and concluded on October 16, 2019.

Read short crisp case studies here

Final verdict of the hon. Supreme Court:

• Based on Archaeological survey reports, the Supreme Court concluded that the Babri Masjid was not built on vacant land and the underlying structure was not Islamic
• Title of the land has been given to Ramlalla Virajmaan
• The Centre has been ordered to frame a scheme within 3 months and set up a trust for the construction of a temple.
• Muslims will get 5 acres of prominent land within Ayodhya for building Mosque

Judgement of hon. Supreme court

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