SC to hear pleas against Places of Worship Act

3-judge Special Bench of apex court to hear pleas on 12 December

- PARMOD KUMAR

A 3-judge special bench of the Supreme Court will hear on 12 December a batch of petitions challenging the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1991. The Act prohibits the filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on 15 August 1947.

The special bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice K.V. Viswanathan will take up for hearing a batch of petitions at 3.30 p.m. on 12 December. The petitions challenging the Places of Worship Act have contended that the Act takes away the rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs to restore their 'places of worship and pilgrimages', destroyed by invaders.