Agencies / NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court today set an October 18 deadline for the conclusion of hearings in the Ram-Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid land dispute.
The given date for completion of arguments by both the parties assumes significance as Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who is heading the five-judge Constitution bench hearing the case, is due to demit office on November 17.
The apex court also said the parties to the dispute can amicably resolve the matter through mediation if they want to, but told both the sides that it wanted to conclude the day-to-day hearings by the 18th of next month so that the judges get almost four weeks time to write the judgment.
The Court had yesterday asked the counsels for both parties to inform it about a tentative time schedule for concluding their arguments.
The Constitution bench said it has received a letter from former apex court judge F M I Kalifulla, who was heading the three-member mediation panel, in which it was stated that some parties have written to him for the resumption of the mediation process.
