New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday set up a five-judge Constitution Bench to hear the politically sensitive case of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land title dispute in Ayodhya. Justice Gogoi’s successor would be Justice Bobde followed by Justices Ramana, Lalit and Chandrachud.
A notice on the apex court website on Tuesday read: “Take notice that the following matters (petitions in the Ayodhya land dispute) will be listed on Thursday the 10th January, 2019 at 10.30 AM in Chief Justice’s court before the constitution bench comprising the Chief Justice, Justices S A Bobde, N V Ramana, Uday Umesh Lalit and Dr D Y Chandrchud.”
As many as 14 appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgement, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land be partitioned equally among the three parties — the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla. The apex court on October 29 last year had fixed the matter in the first week of January before the “appropriate bench”.
Later, an application was moved for according an urgent hearing by advancing the date, but the top court had refused the plea, saying it had already passed an order on October 29 relating to the hearing of the matter.
Various Hindutva organisations have been demanding an ordinance on early construction of Ram temple at the disputed site.
