CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Heading Bench On Ayodhya Land Dispute Case, Cancels Foreign Visit

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has cancelled his foreign visit to attend official programmes, sources said on Wednesday. The CJI, who headed a bench on Ayodhya land dispute case in which the judgement was reserved, has cancelled his programme for foreign visit due to some exigencies, they said.

Gogoi was to travel to some South American countries, Middle East and some other countries before he demits office as CJI on November 17.

The sources also said the CJI cancelled the proposed visits before they were finalised. Gogoi was sworn in as the 46th CJI on October 3 last year.

The concluding day of the marathon hearing during which Gogoi heading a 5-judge Constitution bench observed "enough is enough" was marked by high drama when Rajeev Dhawan, a senior counsel for the Muslim parties, tore a pictorial map provided by Hindu Mahasabha purportedly showing the exact birth place of Lord Ram in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

The high voltage hearing in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute involving 2.77 acres of land is the second longest after the landmark Keshvanand Bharti case in 1973 during which the proceedings for propounding the doctrine of basic structure of the Constitution continued for 68 days. The hearing on the validity of Aadhaar scheme lasted for 38 days in the top court which came into existence in 1950.

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The bench, also comprising S A Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer, came out with schedules for hearing more than once and the arguments, which were first fixed to be concluded by October 18, was advanced to October 17, but on Wednesday, it decided to wrap it up saying "enough is enough".

(With PTI inputs)