Ayodhya Case: SC To Conduct Daily Hearings From July 25 If Mediation Fails; Seeks Report From Panel

Supreme Court on Thursday heard a plea in the much awaited Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid land dispute case and ruled out that it will begin day-to-day hearings in the case if the mediation fails.

SC also requested the committee to submit the report by July 18. (File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Thursday heard a plea in the much awaited Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid land dispute case and ruled out that it will begin day-to-day hearings in the case if the mediation fails. The top court heard a petition seeking early hearing in the case and sought a progress report from the mediation panel latest by July 18. It further added that in case mediation fails or is found unfeasible, it will begin hearing from July 25. According to reports, Gopal Singh Visharad - one of the original litigants in the case- had filed an application for the early hearing of the case stating that no progress had been made in the mediation ordered by the Supreme Court to settle the issue. Singh had moved a court in Faizabad in 1950 claiming his right to worship was prevented by the state government, which did not allow him to go near the Ram idol. He had called for an order against the removal of idols. The appeal also urged the top court to begin hearing appeals against the September 30, 2010 verdict of Allahabad High Court in the case. The plea was heard by a bench of judges including Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer. The Allahabad High Court, in its verdict, had said that 2.7-acre disputed land at Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site is divided equally between Ram Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Wakf Board. The Supreme Court had in March formed a three-member committee headed by former SC judge Fakkir Mohammed Ibrahim Kalifulla, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior Madras High Court advocate Sriram Panchu. The three member committee had asked Visharad to file necessary application to this effect. On May 10, the court had given a deadline of August 15 to the mediation panel to find a reasonable solution to the dispute. The top court today also requested the committee to submit the report by July 18 and said that it would pass further orders on the same date.