Chances brighten for verdict in Ayodhya case in November

NEW DELHI: Chances of the Supreme Court giving a final verdict in November in the 70-year-old litigation for ownership of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land in Ayodhya brightened as all Hindu parties, which were awarded two-thirds of the disputed land by the Allahabad high court, have completed their arguments. The hearing had started on August 6.

Giving a patient hearing to counsel but not allowing them to repeat or reiterate each other’s arguments, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer appeared to have achieved the unimaginable — completion of arguments on behalf of deity Ram Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara, All India Ram Janmasthan Punaruthan Samiti, two factions of Hindu Mahasabha, Shia Waqf Board and legal heir of Gopal Singh Visharad, who had first instituted a suit in 1951 after idols were installed inside Babri Masjid in December 1949.

The Allahabad HC had divided the disputed land equally among three parties, with one-third going to deity Ram Lalla under the central dome of the mosque prior to its demolition in 1992, another third comprising the Ram Chabutra and Sita Rasoi to Nirmohi Akhara and the last third to Sunni Waqf Board.


With arguments on behalf of deity Ram Lalla and Nirmohi Akhara getting over on Day 16 of the proceedings, the main party left to advance arguments is Sunni Waqf Board represented by senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who had protested against the five-days-a-week hearing schedule fixed by the SC.

With many in the court corridors wondering whether the bench would be able to conclude proceedings and deliver a judgment before the retirement of CJI Gogoi on November 17, the completion of arguments by parties awarded two-thirds of the disputed land brightens the chances of the court delivering the final verdict in November.

Dhavan had earlier said he would take 20 days to complete arguments. Even if Dhavan lives up to his assertion, it would still leave the SC with more than a month to firm up its verdict.

Muslim parties will start arguments on Monday.