Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Friday constituted a fresh five-judge bench for the January 29 hearing of the legal battle of Ayodhya Title Dispute, importantly drafting in the lone Muslim SC judge in Justice S Abdul Nazeer. The reconstitution of the bench was necessitated after Justice U U Lalit recused from the case on January 10. This was followed by Justice N V Ramana withdrawing citing personal reasons.
With two judges dropping out, the CJI decided to draft Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Nazeer into the five-judge bench led by him. The other two judges on the bench are Justice S A Bobde and Justice D Y Chandrachud.
Earlier on January 10 during Hearing on the Ram Janmabhoomi – Babri Masjid title dispute, the case was deferred to Jan 29 after Judge UU Lalit from the 5 bench panel left the case saying ‘He was a lawyer in the case earlier’. Following which the court adjourned matter and deferred next hearing date to January 29.
Advocate Rajiv Dhavan raised the issue of Justice UU Lalit in the proceedings.
Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had on January 8 appointed 5 judges constitutional bench to take up the hearing on the case. Five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi includes – Justice SA Bobde, Justice NV Ramana, Justice UU Lalit and Justice DY Chandrachud. CJI Ranjan Gogoi to head 5 judge bench to take up Ayodhya title dispute case from Jan 10
Earlier on Jan 4 in 60-second hearing that did not see any arguments from either side, Supreme Court on said, ” The title suit in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute case will be heard on January 10 by appropriate Bench”.
The Apex Court on Jan 4 also dismissed a PIL seeking to hear the Ayodhya matter on urgent and day to day basis. The PIL was filed by an advocate Harinath Ram in November 2018.
On December 24, Supreme court has decided to hear Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute case on January 4
The Highest court in October 2018 rejected an urgent hearing into the matter after Uttar Pradesh government argued that it should be taken up on priority because it is a 100-year-old dispute. Chief Justice Gogoi then said that the court has its “own priority”.
BJP on its part is pressing for fast hearing in the case keeping in mind the electoral gains for the upcoming Lok Sabha 2019 Polls. Ravi Shankar Prasad urges for fast-track hearing in Ayodhya title dispute
The Ayodhya Dispute title case deals with who owns the controversial land where Babri Masjid once stood and where Lord Ram Believed to have been born.
The Allahabad High Court in 2010 verdict had divided the land between three petitioners — two of favoured building a Ram Mandir at the Ayodhya site while the third wanted the Babri Masjid rebuilt.
All the petitioners appealed against the Allahabad High Court verdict. The Supreme Court will now begin hearing those appeals.