Ayodhya hearing: SC grants time to mediators till August 15

Ayodhya dispute: The Bench also allowed the parties to file their objections, if any, to the translations of the various documents which is being undertaken by the SC Registry.

ayodhya, ayodhya case, ayodhya latest news, ayodhya ram mandir, ayodhya ram mandir babri masjid, ayodhya hearing, ayodhya hearing today, ayodhya hearing supreme court, ayodhya ram mandir news, ayodhya land case, ayodhya sc, ayodhya land dispute

The SC had directed that mediation proceedings be completed within eight weeks. (File)

The Supreme Court on Friday granted the three-member panel time till August 15 to explore the possibility of resolving the centuries-old Ayodhya dispute through mediation among the parties.

A Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, which took up the matter today, said it had received the report dated May 7 submitted by the Committee and led by Justice (retired) F M Ibrahim Khalifullah “indicating the progress made in mediation proceedings”.

The three-member panel, whose other members comprise of spiritual teacher Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu, has also sought an extension of time to complete the task assigned to it and find a lasting solution to the dispute, the CJI pointed out.

Story continues below this ad

The Bench, which also consisted of Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer, said it was inclined to grant more time as prayed for.

Granting the panel time till August 15, the court asked it to submit its next report on or before that date.

The Bench also allowed the parties to file their objections, if any, to the translations of the various documents which is being undertaken by the SC Registry.

The Counsel for Nirmohi Akhara Advocate Sushil Jain said some difficulties were being experienced in the process. However, the court said the members of the panel had not complained of any such difficulties claimed.

Story continues below this ad

The top court had set up the mediation panel on March 8 and set an eight-week deadline to complete the process. It had directed that the proceedings should be held in-camera, as per norms applicable to conduct of mediation proceedings, and “with utmost confidentiality so as to ensure its success”.

The court had also asked the various parties to the dispute to use the eight-week period to adopt steps to make the cases ready for hearing.

Ananthakrishnan G

Ananthakrishnan G. is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. He has been in the field for over 23 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry. He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with The Indian Express, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram