ASI directed to fill Ayodhya trenches

Lucknow, Jan 17 (UNI) The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court today directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to fill the rest of the 26 trenches, dug out during the 2003 excavation at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

A full division bench comprising Justices Sayyed Rafat Alam Bhanwar Singh and O P Srivastava passed this order in the Ayodhya civil suit.

The bench also directed the state of Uttar Pradesh and Faizabad district magistrate to present before it within two weeks, the letters written to the Faizabad divisional commissioner in 1949.

During the course of hearing, Sunni Central Waqf Board counsel Jafaryab Jeelani told the bench that the UP government was not presenting these letters despite a court order.

Meanwhile, the ASI has been directed to file a complete report after the trenches have been filled with sand.

The case has been posted for next hearing to February 19.

The court had ordered excavation at the site, so that it could be ascertained if a temple had predated the demolished structure in Ayodhya.

UNI