CJI reconstitutes Ayodhya bench, inducts Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Abdul Nazeer

The Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, reconstituted the bench for the Ayodhya Ram Temple case on Friday by inducting Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Abdul Nazeer.

Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, reconstituted the Ayodhya  bench on Friday by inducting Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Abdul Nazeer. A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, heard the Ayodhya temple-mosque case on January 9. It was expected to take a call on the frequency of hearings in the case. The hearing got adjourned after Judge UU Lalit left the hearing saying he was a lawyer in a related case earlier. The four other judges on the Constitution Bench were Justice SA Bobde, Justice NV Ramana, Justice UU Lalit and Justice DY Chandrachud. Justice U U Lalit, who was part of the original five-judge Constitution Bench, had recused himself, prompting the Supreme Court to reschedule the hearing on January 29 by setting up a fresh bench. During the last hearing on January 10, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for a Muslim party, had told a bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi that Justice Lalit appeared for former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh in 1994. Though Dhavan said he was not seeking recusal of Justice Lalit, the judge himself opted out the hearing the matter. The matter is still subjudice in the Supreme Court and the next hearing in the case shall be held on January 29