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Lucknow: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which carried out excavation at the disputed site in Ayodhya to ascertain if a temple had existed beneath the Babri mosque, on August 22 submitted its final report in the Allahabad High Court.

The ASI report, sealed in a cover and contained in two boxes, was submitted in the office of the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Narendra Prasad, who is conducting day-to-day hearing of the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits.

The ASI team leader Hari Majhi, accompanied by lawyers of contesting parties, arrived at Prasad's office around 12.20 p m and submitted the report.

The report weighed about 574 kilograms, sources told reporters preferring anonymity in view of the High Court's explicit directions to maintain complete secrecy until it was opened in the court on August 25 when the special bench would hear the suits.

The bench comprising Justice S R Alam, Justice Bhanwar Singh and Justice Khemkaran had directed the ASI to submit its final report by August 22.

The excavation work began on March 12 on the acquired land on the High Court's order and in its almost 160 days of digging work, which ended on August 7, the ASI team made over 1360 discoveries, ASI sources said.

PTI