LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Thursday dismissed a writ petition seeking permission to offer Namaz at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
On the contrary, the court imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on the petitioner for filing the petition without any legal basis. It observed that the petition was moved only to gain cheap publicity.
A division bench, comprising Justice DK Arora and Justice Alok Mathur, passed the order on the petition filed by Al-Rahman Charitable Trust based in Rae Bareli. Trustee Sharif had moved the petition submitting that since Hindus were allowed to do puja at makeshift temple at the disputed site, he should also be
allowed to offer Namaz on the disputed premises.
He also contended that he should be allowed to offer namaz in one third piece of disputed 2.77 acre land which was given to Muslim party by the Allahabad High Court bench in 2010.
In view of the Supreme Court order of maintaining a status quo at the disputed site, the Lucknow bench said before filing such petition, the petitioner must have gone through the actual legal position of the matter. Pulling up the petitioner Trust for moving frivolous petition, the court imposed cost of Rs 5 lakh
on it. The court also directed the District Magistrate of Faizabad to realize the penalty of Rs 5 lakh imposed on the trust as revenue arrears if it failed to deposite the amount.