Ayodhya case: There was temple in inner courtyard, Nirmohi Akhara's counsel tells Supreme Court

New Delhi: Senior counsel appearing for Nirmohi Akhara, one of the parties in the Ayodhya title dispute case, on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that there was a temple in the inner courtyard of the disputed site.

Senior Advocate S K Jain told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that Muslims were not allowed to enter the temple area.

"There was no mosque there. As per the revenue records, it can be said that the land was in possession of the Nirmohi Akhara," the counsel claimed.

The constitution bench, also comprising Justice SA Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Abdul Naseer, is conducting a day-to-day hearing in the Ayodhya title dispute case after the mediation panel failed to achieve an amicable settlement.

The apex court is hearing appeals against September 30, 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court in the case.

The High Court in its verdict had ordered equal division of 2.77-acre disputed land in Ayodhya among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

The 16th-century Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992.