Ayodhya: SC to take up matter on Jan 10

The Supreme Court puts the matter pertaining to Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute before an appropriate bench for passing further orders on January 10.

Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said, "Further orders would be passed by an appropriate bench to be constituted on January 10."

As the matter was taken up, the bench told the counsel from different sides, including senior advocate Harish Salve and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, to listen to the orders.

The court passed just one line order and referred the matter to the appropriate bench on January 10.

It was expected that the top court may on Friday fix the date of hearing before an appropriate bench in the matter.

The apex court on October 29 had fixed the case for the first week of January before an "appropriate bench", which will decide the schedule of hearing.

However, the title suit was listed before a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul. Being a miscellaneous date, the case was unlikely to get any detailed hearing.

The same bench had in November declined a plea for early hearing sought by lawyer Barun Kumar Sinha, representing Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) which is one of the respondents in the appeal filed by legal heirs of M Siddiq in the case.

As many as 14 appeals have been filed against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgement, which ordered that the 2.77 acre land be partitioned equally among three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

On September 27, the Supreme Court by a majority view of 2:1 declined to set up a larger bench for a reconsideration of its 1994 verdict which held a "mosque is not an essential part of the practice of Islam". The Muslim sides had contended that the previous judgement would have an adverse impact on adjudication of the matter.

On Friday, the top court also dismissed a separate petition filed by an advocate seeking a reasoned order for giving an early hearing to the vexed dispute case.