New Delhi: The Supreme Court has fixed the deadline of October 18 for completion of arguments in the prolonged Ramjanmabhoomi/ Babri Masjid row.
On Wednesday, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi set the dealine after holding consultations with the lawyer from both sides. This move specifically comes in the backdrop of the CJI’s retirement on November 17. If the judgement is not delivered before the CJI’s retirement, the entire matter would have to be heard afresh.
“Let us all make joint efforts to complete it by October 18. If the need arises, we are ready to sit on Saturdays and some extra hours on weekdays to complete it,” observed Justice Gogoi.
It may be recalled that on Tuesday, the Constitution Bench had sought to know from all parties in the case about a tentative time frame for completing their arguments.
Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who has been leading the submissions on behalf of the Muslim side, said they would complete the arguments by the end of next week and will then take a day or two to argue their own civil suit.
From the Hindu side, Ram Lalla Virajman’s lawyers said they will take two days while other parties this side said a couple of days more should be enough to complete their arguments.
The five judges on the Bench had a brief discussion among themselves and set October 18 as the deadline. The daily hearing on the matter commenced on August 6. Fourteen appeals have been filed in the top court against the Allahabad High Court order, which partitioned the 2.77-acre disputed land equally among Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
