New Delhi, Sep 4 - The Supreme Court Friday stopped the Uttar Pradesh government from demolishing three temples within the premises of Lucknow Central Jail.

A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan issued this direction on an allegation by Lucknow resident Sangam Lal Pandey who told the court that there were four temples of British vintage inside the jail premises.

Pandey said one of these temples has already been demolished by the government while the other three would be demolished along with the jail itself for the construction of an ecological park. The state government had proposed to shift the jail outside Lucknow.

While the Uttar Pradesh government's counsel Shafeeq Chandra Mishra denied the existence of any temple in the jail premises, Pandey showed photographs of the temples existing within the jail to the court.

This prompted the bench to issue its order against demolishing the temples.