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PETITIONER: SPECIAL REFRENCE NO. 1. OF 1993

       Vs.

RESPONDENT:

DATE OF JUDGMENT21/09/1993

BENCH: VENKATACHALLIAH, M.N.(CJ) BENCH: VENKATACHALLIAH, M.N.(CJ) BHARUCHA S.P. (J) AHMADI, A.M. (J) VERMA, JAGDISH SARAN (J) RAY, G.N. (J)

CITATION:  1993 SCC  (1) 680        1993 SCALE  (4)582

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT: ORDER I. A.  Nos. 7, 14, 15 and 16 of 1993 1.   By  these  applications  the  applicants  seek  certain directions from the Court to the Government of India and the authorised   persons   to  make  proper   arrangements   for preserving and conserving the archaeological objects in  the possession  of  the  authorities  related  to  the  disputed structure and further to direct the authorities to carry out certain  scientific tests to determine their age  and  other incidents  said  to  be  relevant  to  controversy  in   the Reference. 2.   Having  regard to the present stage of the  proceedings and  the  yet  undecided preliminary issue as  to  the  very maintainability  of the reference itself, it appears  to  us appropriate  that  while  we grant the first  prayer  as  to preservation  of the objects, however, the consideration  of the  second  prayer should be deferred till  an  appropriate later stage. 3.   Accordingly,   these  interlocutory  applications   are disposed  of with a direction to the Union  Government,  the State of Uttar Pradesh and authorised persons to make proper arrangements    for    preserving   and    conserving    the archaeological   objects  in  their  possession,   allegedly relating  to  the  disputed  structure,  in  an  appropriate manner.   The  preservation shall be made according  to  the accepted scientific standards relating to such objects  and, if necessary, in consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India. 4.   We also direct that ’estampages’ of the inscriptions of these articles may be taken and preserved by the authorities in consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India in a manner  acceptable  to and approved  by  the  Archaeological Survey of India.  One set of ’estampages’ so obtained  shall

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be preserved in a sealed cover.  If the process of obtaining the  ’  estampages’,  in  the  opinion  of  the  experts  of Archaeological  Survey of India, is likely to  disfigure  or damage the articles, the authorities in their discretion may abstain from such estampages of such objects. 5.   So far as the second aspect of the prayer is concerned, the submission is that these objects should be subjected  to Radio-Carbon-Dating and Thermo-Luminiscence procedures so as to determine the age and other particulars of these objects. This  prayer will not be granted at this stage.   After  the preliminary issue is decided and depending upon the finding, the  question whether the prayers should be granted or  not, or  whether  they  survive  or not  will  be  taken  up  for consideration if raised at an appropriate stage. 6.   The   interlocutory   applications  are   disposed   of accordingly. Court Master 688