Restore religious places damaged during riots, Gujarat ordered

New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) The Supreme Court Monday declined to suspend the Gujarat High Court order directing the state government to pay for the repair of religious places damaged during 2002 riots.

However, an apex court bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Deepak Misra left it to the state government to formulate a scheme for the restoration of the religious places damaged during the riots.

The scheme that has been left for the state government to formulate, if it so desired, is on the lines of the one framed by the Orissa government for the restoration of churches that were damaged in the wake of 2008 anti-christian Kandhamal riots.

The court said the state government can formulate a scheme on the lines of what the Orissa government framed for the restoration of churches.

Additional Advocate General of Gujarat Tushar Mehta told the court that he needed time to take instructions in pursuance to the court's poser.

The court did not stay the portion of the high court observation which blamed "inadequate action" for the damages to the religious places.