The Supreme Court on Monday deferred to April first week the hearing on a batch of pleas relating to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the matter will be heard by a three-judge bench.
Earlier in the morning, the top court expressed its displeasure over the filing of several fresh pleas in a case related to validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 which mandates the religious character of a place to be maintained as it existed on August 15, 1947.
“We might not be able to take it up”, the CJI said when senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for a litigant, mentioned a fresh plea for hearing during the day.
At the outset of the day’s proceedings, the senior advocate mentioned the matter.
“There is a limit to which petitions can be filed. So many IAs (interim applications) have been filed we might not be able to take it up”, the CJI said, adding that a date may be given in March.
The top court, through its December 12, 2024 order, effectively stalled proceedings in about 18 lawsuits filed by various Hindu parties seeking survey to ascertain original religious character of 10 mosques, including Gyanvapi at Varanasi, Shahi Idgah Masjid at Mathura and Shahi Jama Masjid, at Sambhal where four people died in clashes.
It had then listed all the petitions for an effective hearing on February 17.
Post December 12, several petitions have been filed, including by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Samajwadi Party leader and Kairana MP Iqra Choudhary and the Congress Party, seeking effective implementation of the 1991 law.