Supreme Court Refuses to Dismiss Case Against Man Over ‘Babri Masjid Will Be Rebuilt’ Facebook Post
A bench led by Justice Surya Kant rejected the petition, stating they had seen the post but would not comment on it, leaving the matter to the trial court.
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by a man from Uttar Pradesh who had posted on Facebook in 2020 that “Babri Masjid will be rebuilt one day.” The court declined to quash the criminal case against him and directed that the matter should proceed in the trial court.
The case was registered in Lakhimpur Kheri district, where police filed an FIR under sections of the Indian Penal Code related to promoting enmity between groups and making hate speech statements. Authorities labeled the post as “provocative.”
What Happened in Court
During the hearing on Monday, a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi stated that they had reviewed the petitioner’s post. However, they felt it would be better not to offer any opinion on it.
The bench withdrew the case from its docket and instructed the trial court to examine all aspects of the matter independently.
Advocate Talhat Abdur Rahman, representing the petitioner Mansoori, argued that his client’s post contained nothing inflammatory. He claimed that objectionable comments were made by another user, which were never investigated.
Background of the Case
The case was registered in August 2020 after Mansoori’s Facebook account carried a post suggesting that the Babri Masjid would be rebuilt. According to police, another account posted derogatory remarks against Hindu religious figures in the comments section, which escalated the situation.
Following this, the district magistrate detained Mansoori under the National Security Act (NSA). However, the Allahabad High Court declared this detention invalid in September 2021.
When police filed a charge sheet, the trial court allowed the proceedings to continue. Mansoori then approached the High Court seeking dismissal of the case, but found no relief there either.
The Babri Masjid Dispute
On December 6, 1992, the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished by Hindu activists, triggering widespread communal riots across India.
In November 2019, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict declaring the demolition illegal. However, it handed over the disputed land to a trust for the construction of a Ram temple.
The court also ordered that a separate five-acre plot be allocated at an alternative location for building a mosque for Muslims. Despite this directive, construction of the mosque has yet to begin.
