AGENCIES / NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court today suggested another round of mediation in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi-land dispute case. Observing that it was considering the possibility of healing relationships, a five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said it will pass an order on the 5th of next month on whether to refer the case to a court-appointed mediator.
The bench, also comprising, Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer, said even if one per cent chance of mediation exists in the matter, it should be done.
It asked the registry to provide translated copies of all documents within six weeks and said the main matter would be taken up for hearing after eight weeks. The court directed the parties to examine translated copies and raise objections, if any, within this time.
Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties — the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.