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The Allahabad High Court has criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for taking possession of land belonging to the Shri Thakur Ram Jankiji deity at Sugriv Kila in Ayodhya, acquired for development around the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, without paying the agreed sale consideration. A sale deed for 1,512 square metres was executed in December 2023 for approximately INR 1.38 crore, but the court noted the state had taken possession while simultaneously disputing the deity's title to the land. The court described the sequence of events as appearing deliberately engineered to delay payment.
The Allahabad High Court has come down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government over its handling of land belonging to the Shri Thakur Ram Jankiji deity at Sugriv Kila in Ayodhya, acquired as part of the development works surrounding the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, after the state took possession of the site without settling the agreed sale consideration. The court's remarks came while hearing a petition filed on behalf of the deity, whose temple stands within the Sugriv Kila complex.
According to the petition, the land in question has been recorded in the deity's name since the first revenue settlement of 1858, with subsequent settlements in 1892 and 1915 altering the plot numbers without any change to the recorded ownership. As development activity intensified around the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, state authorities approached the temple's Sarvarahkar seeking to acquire 1,512 square metres of land out of Khata No. 44/2, Khasra No. 246. The petition stated that the temple administration was initially reluctant to part with the land but agreed to the sale on the grounds of public purpose.
Following negotiations, a memorandum of understanding was executed between the parties, under which the value of the land and the structures built upon it was assessed, applicable stamp duty was paid, and a formal sale deed was registered on 22 December 2023 for a consideration of approximately INR 1.38 crore. Despite the execution of the sale deed and the completion of statutory formalities, the petition alleged that the state government proceeded to take possession of the land without releasing the agreed payment to the deity.
The court observed that the state's conduct appeared contradictory, noting that authorities had taken possession of the land under the sale deed while simultaneously questioning the deity's underlying title to the property and contending that the land could not have been lawfully sold in the first place. The bench remarked that the sequence of events surrounding the transaction appeared to have been deliberately structured to delay and withhold payment of the sale consideration, describing the pattern as one intended to secure swift possession of the land while denying the petitioner its rightful dues.
The case highlights the broader complexities surrounding land acquisition in Ayodhya as the state government continues extensive redevelopment work around the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple precinct, an area that has seen large-scale infrastructure and beautification projects since the Supreme Court's 2019 verdict paved the way for construction of the temple. Land parcels held by temples, trusts and private owners in the vicinity have increasingly come under acquisition for corridor development, road-widening and allied civic works, with disputes over valuation, consent and payment timelines periodically surfacing before the courts.
The matter underscores the procedural and legal scrutiny that continues to attend land transactions linked to the Ayodhya redevelopment, even as construction and allied infrastructure projects in the temple town proceed at pace. The Allahabad High Court's observations are expected to have a bearing on how the state government approaches similar land acquisition matters involving religious trusts and deities in the region going forward.
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