24 Ayodhya trenches to be filled

Lucknow, Sep 1 (UNI) The Special Full Bench of Allahabad High Court here today ordered that 24 trenches excavated at the Ayodhya disputed site be filled.

The Bench comprising Justices S R Alam, Bhanwar Singh and O P Srivastava further posted the Ayodhya civil title suit for next hearing to September 18.

The excavation was carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) after an order was passed by the Lucknow Bench.

Meanwhile, the court also directed commissioner H S Dubey to continue recording statements in the case from September 4.

Mr Dubey was specially appointed for this purpose.

The exercise of closure of the 24 trenches has to be completed within three weeks.

The counsel for the plaintiffs will inform on the next date of the sitting, as to how many more trenches may be closed.

''In the meantime, if any party to the suit so desires, may get the remaining trenches inspected within a month from today, by their experts, whose names have already been furnished to this court and who are likely to be examined as witnesses,'' the court observed.

UNI XC-VS RL KN1940