Ayodhya verdict: 5 acre suitable land to be given to Sunni Waqf Board, says SC

The Supreme Court on Saturday directed the Centre to give five acres of suitable land to Sunni Waqf Board and at the same time make necessary arrangements for the construction of the temple by forming a trust.

"Central government shall form in three to four months a scheme for setting up of a trust. They shall make necessary arrangements for the management of trust and construction of the temple," Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said while reading out the verdict.

He said that the possession of the inner and outer courtyard shall be handed over to the trust.

"Suitable plot of land measuring five-acre shall be handed over to Sunni Waqf Board," said the apex court.

A five-judge constitution bench presided by Chief Justice Gogoi will shortly pronounce the verdict on a batch of petitions against an order of the Allahabad High Court which trifurcated the site between the parties -- Ramlalla Virajman, Sunni Central Waqf Board and Nirmohi Akhara.

A decade-long legal dispute is being fought by right-wing party Hindu Mahasabha, a sect of Hindu monks Nirmohi Akhara and Muslim Waqf Board over 2.77 acres of land in Ayodhya. The dispute is expected to come to an end with the decision of the top court.

( With inputs from ANI )