New Delhi:
The Supreme Court is hearing the Ayodhya title dispute case today. The mediation panel asked for time till August 15 whcih the Supreme Court granted. The mediation process will remain confidential and the court also said that no one will interfere in the mediation process. This is the first hearing after the top court constituted three-member mediation committee, tasked with exploring the possibility of an amicable settlement in the decades-old, politically sensitive, Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. The matter will be heard by a Constitution bench comprising of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and judges SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer. On March 8, the Supreme Court ordered mediation for the ‘permanent solution’ of the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that the mediation process will be held in Faizabad on-camera but barred media from reporting the proceedings.
Here are the highlights:
Nobody will come in way of mediation process: Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court allowed parties to raise objections before the panel till June 30.
CJI also says, "We're not going to tell you what progress has been made, that’s confidential."
Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan: "We support any attempt for mediation."
The Chief Justice said: "They are asking till August. How can we deny?"
Senior advocate Vaidyanathan representing Ram Lalla, however, said, "Time should be granted till the end of June 2019."
Report received from Mediation committee, extension of time sought which we are inclined to grant, remarks CJI Ranjan Gogoi.
Supreme Court takes up mediation panel report, hearing commences.
April 3, 1993: 'Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act' passed for acquisition of land by Centre in the disputed area.
December 6, 1992: Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid structure demolished.
Babri Masjid was built by Mir Baqi, commander of Mughal emperor Babur in 1528.
In the last September verdict of 2:1, a three-judge bench headed by then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra had said the civil suit has to be decided on the basis of evidence, adding that the previous verdict has no relevance on this issue.
Fourteen appeals have been filed in the top court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgement, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land be partitioned equally among three parties - the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
Who is Justice FMI Kalifulla?
Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim (FMI) Kalifulla is a retired Supreme Court judge. The son of former Madras High Court judge Justice Fakkir Mohamed, Justice Kalifulla had enrolled as a lawyer in 1975. He was elevated to the Supreme Court of India on April 2, 2012. His tenure lasted for around four years before his retirement on July 22, 2016. Justice Kalifulla is known for his landmark judgment for carrying out reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He also played a crucial role in restoring faith in the minds of Kashmiris by ensuring that the common people of the Valley have access to justice.
Who is Sriram Panchu?
Sriram Panchu is a senior advocate and considered as a pioneer of India's mediation movement. He played a crucial role in establishing the country’s first court-annexed mediation center in Madras High Court in 2005 and assisted the Supreme Court of India and several High Courts in setting up mediation centers. He has authored two books on mediation - Settle for More – The Why, How and When of Mediation and Mediation: Practice and Law. A resident of Chennai, Panchu is a renowned member on the panel of international commercial mediators of recognised mediation institutions.
Who is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a spiritual leader who runs a volunteer-based, humanitarian and educational non-governmental organization (NGO), the Art of Living. Sri Sri has millions of followers across the world. Born in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu to Visalakshi Ratnam and RS Venkat Ratnam, Ravi Shankar holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the St Joseph’s College of Bangalore University. He has previously made efforts towards an ‘out of court settlement’ of the case but his efforts hardly bear any fruits then.
The top court also appointed a three-member panel of mediators headed by Justice FMI Kalifulla. Two other mediators are spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu.
On March 8, the Supreme Court ordered mediation for the ‘permanent solution’ of the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that the mediation process will be held in Faizabad on-camera but barred media from reporting the proceedings.
