Verdict in Babri Masjid demolition case must be delivered within 9 months: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered that the verdict in the Babri Masjid demolition case must be delivered within nine months from today. BJP patriarch LK Advani, senior party leaders Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and others are accused in the demolition case. Trial court CBI judge, SK Yadav in Lucknow is hearing the case, and as he is retiring on September 30, 2019, he had earlier written to the Supreme Court stating he will take more time to complete trial in the Babri Masjid case involving the BJP leaders. On December 6, 1992, the Mughal-era Babri Masjid was demolished.

Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

The top court had fixed the seat for the mediation process in Faizabad of Uttar Pradesh, around 7 km from Ayodhya, and said adequate arrangements, including those related to the venue of the mediation, place of stay of the mediators, their security and travel, should be arranged forthwith by the state government so that the proceedings could commence immediately.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court had fixed August 2 as next date of hearing after mediation panel submitted ‘status report’ on the politically sensitive case of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in Ayodhya.  The mediation will continue till July 31 and the panel will submit its report on August 1 on talks with various groups for a solution.

"We now fix the date of hearing on August 2nd. We request the mediation committee to inform the outcome of the proceedings as of July 31", the bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and also comprising justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer.

Earlier on June 11, the Supreme Court sought the report on the "progress of mediation" in the land dispute case Ayodhya and said a day-to-day hearing may commence from July 25 if the court decides to conclude those proceedings.