The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained courts across the country to admit or pass orders in any fresh suit or plea seeking a survey of mosques to determine whether temples lie beneath them.

“No order of survey or any other effective order to be passed in existing suits as well,” the top court said while hearing on pleas challenging Places of Worship Act. 

This Act prohibits the filing of lawsuits to reclaim places of worship or change their character from what existed on August 15, 1947.

The pleas challenged the Places of Worship Act saying that the Act takes away the rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs to restore their ‘places of worship and pilgrimages’, destroyed by 

The top court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Vishwanathan,”We are examining vires, contours and ambit of 1991 law on places of worship Act”. 

The apex court has asked the Centre to reply to cross-pleas against or seeking implementation of statute within four weeks.