Ayodhya Dispute: ‘Won’t Grant Any Extra Day To Complete Arguments,’ CJI Reiterates Oct 18 Deadline

It is to be noted that CJI Gogoi is set to demit office on November 17 and he has to deliver the judgement before that as he had entirely heard the case from the beginning of the arguments.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi (Source: PTI)

New Delhi: Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, on Thursday, reiterated that the Supreme Court doesn’t want to give one day extra beyond October 18, to all the petitioners to complete their submissions in the Ayodhya land dispute case, hinting that the judgment is likely to be delivered before his retirement which is to take place in November. On the 32^nd hearing in the case, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that all the arguments should be submitted before October 18. It also said that all parties have ten-and-a-half days to finish this job. The bench was apprised by the lawyers that their submissions will be completed by the said date in "all the possibilities and manner.” The day-to-day hearing on a batch of appeals filed by Muslim and Hindu parties challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, entered day 32 on Thursday, which has ruled to divide the disputed site into three equal parts. It is to be noted that CJI Gogoi is set to demit office on November 17 and he has to deliver the judgement before that as he had entirely heard the case from the beginning of the arguments. The bench will write the landmark judgement for ownership of 2.77-acre land once the arguments are concluded by lawyers of UP Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmoni Akhada and Ram Deity -- three parties in the case. On September 18, the court said that arguments have to be completed by October 18 even as the mediation panel may continue its work under confidentiality. "As per the estimate of tentative dates to finish the hearing in the case, we can say that the submissions have to be likely completed by October 18," Gogoi had said. Earlier, the court had observed that the hearing of the appeals, which is at a very advanced stage, will continue without any interruption. The court had also said that simultaneously the mediation process can go along with the hearing and if an amicable settlement is reached through by it, the same can be filed before the court. The day-to-day hearing started on August 6 after a court-appointed mediation panel failed to resolve the dispute through amicable settlement. (inputs from agencies)