In the politically-sensitive Ayodhya case, the Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the final hearing and postponed to March 14 as the next date for the hearing. However, some of the documents and translations are yet to be filed before it.
The politically-sensitive Ayodhya case is heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S Abdul Nazeer, who said that it will hear the case as a “pure land dispute”.
The Supreme Court on Thursday began the crucial hearing on a batch of petitions in the politically-sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute.
Today’s hearing assumed significance in the wake of the rejection by a special bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, the vehement submission by Sunni Waqf Board and others that the pleas be heard after the next general elections.
Justices Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer, also part of the bench, had made clear on December 5 last year that it would start final hearing on the petitions from February 8 and had asked the parties to file the requisite pleadings in the meantime.
Kapil Sibal and Rajeev Dhavan, some of the senior lawyers, had said that the civil appeals be either referred to a five or seven-judge bench or posted in 2019 considering the sensitive nature of the case and its implications on the country’s secular fabric and polity.
The Apex court had asked the advocates on records (AoRs), dealing with as many 14 civil appeals against the 2010 judgment of the Allahabad High Court in the land dispute, to ensure that all required documents are translated, filed and numbered before the apex court Registry.
The special bench of the apex court is seized of a total 14 appeals filed against the High Court judgement delivered in four civil suits.
A three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had in 2010 ordered that the land is partitioned equally among three parties — the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
Apart from the case, Ayodhya has been in news for other reasons as well. Last year, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath organised grand Diwali celebrations in the temple town.
The Yogi government has also planned for a giant statue of Lord Ram on the banks of Saryu.
UP DGP Surya Kumar Shukla sparked a major controversy after a video went viral in which he was seen openly favouring the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya “at the earliest”.