New Delhi, May 16 -- The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court on Friday held that the disputed Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar district is a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, and that the statutory freeze imposed by the Places of Worship Act, 1991 would not apply since the site is a protected ancient monument governed by a different law.

Section 4 of the 1991 Places of Worship Act law says that the religious character of a holy site "shall continue to be the same as it existed" as it was on August 15, 1947, the day of independence. The only exception, under Section 5, said: ".nothing contained in this act shall apply to the place or place of worship commonly known as Ram Janma Bhoomi-Babri Masjid situate...