Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991

The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act, 1993 and the Presidential reference under Article 143(1) concerning whether a Hindu temple existed before the Babri Masjid was built. The Court held that the Act was within Parliament’s legislative competence (Entry 42, …

The Supreme Court examined a long‑standing dispute between the Patriarch of Antioch’s group (the petitioner) and the Catholicos of the East’s group (the respondent) over the nature, governance and authority of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church. The Court held that the 1934 Constitution of the Malankara Association i…

Fifty‑three Sikh worshippers petitioned under Section 7(1) of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 to have Gurdwara Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Jalal, Bhatinda declared a Sikh Gurdwara. The appellant, Mahant Jawala Singh, filed a petition under Section 8 claiming the institution was a Nirmala Dera, not established for Sikh public…

The instant appeals arose from five suits between 1950 and 1989 over a 1500 sq yard land in Ayodhya, claimed by Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Ram (Ram Janmabhumi) and by Muslims as the site of the Babri Masjid. The Allahabad High Court had directed a three-way partition of the disputed site, which the Supreme Court …

The petitioner, journalist Amish Devgan, hosted a televised debate on the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act and described the Sufi saint Pir Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti as an invader, terrorist and robber, leading to seven FIRs in different states under Sections 295A, 153A and 505(2) of the IPC. He sought quashin…

The petitioners, the Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, sought a declaration that they could perform Hindu rituals at the Gyanvapi Mosque and moved to dismiss the suit under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The trial court, exercising discretion under Order 26 Rule 10A of the Code o…