SC refuses new pleas in Places of Worship Act case
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 the 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.
“We are constrained to pass this order after taking note of the number of fresh petitions filed. The pending writ petitions, which have no notices, stand dismissed with liberty to file an application raising additional grounds, if any. The new IA will only be allowed if there is any new point or new legal issue that has not been raised in the pending petitions,” the bench said.
It then listed the batch of petitions and cross ones pertaining to the 1991 law in the week commencing April 1 before a three-judge bench.