Ayodhya Land Case Arguments To Be Completed By October 17: Top Court Prepones Time-Frame

The Supreme Court on Friday said the arguments in the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case will be completed by October 17. Earlier, the court had given the date of completion of submissions of arguments by October 18. Thursday, the court asked both Hindu and Muslim parties to specify the time-frame for completing arguments in the politically sensitive case and said there will not be any extra day for hearing after October 18.

The CJI-headed 5-judge bench, also comprising Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer, asked the Muslim parties to wrap up their arguments on the ASI report during the course of the day and continue to other arguments.

It said there are holidays in October for Dussehera and Diwali and only one advocate of the four Hindu parties will be allowed to give the rejoinder arguments.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who is appearing for the Muslim parties, suggested that the extra-one hour arrangement of hearings till 5 pm should continue.

On September 18, the top court had set October 18 as deadline for conclusion of hearings land title dispute, which raised the possibility of a verdict in the case by mid-November.

The apex court had also said the parties to the dispute can amicably resolve the matter through mediation if they wanted to, but the lawyers must conclude the day-to-day hearings by October 18 so that the judges get about four weeks to write the judgment.

It had said that the day-to-day proceedings in the land dispute case have reached "an advanced stage" and will continue.

The apex court had on August 6 commenced day-to-day proceedings in the case as the mediation proceedings initiated to find the amicable resolution had failed.

(With PTI inputs)