SC dismisses plea for deferment of verdict on Ayodhya case

Paving the way for the Allahabad High Court to deliver its judgement in the 60-year-old Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, the Supreme Court today dismissed the plea for deferment of the verdict.

"Having considered in detail the arguments of the parties, we are of the view that the SLP has to be dismissed. Accordingly, the SLP stands dismissed," said the apex court's 3-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia in a brief order.

The court's order came after two hours of arguments on a plea for the deferment of the judgement by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court filed by a retired bureaucrat Ramesh Chandra Tripathi seeking time for working out an out-of-court settlement.

However, it did not specify any reason for its decision nor fix any date for the judgement to be delivered by the Allahabad High Court.

With this, the way has been paved for the High Court to give its judgement shortly in view of the fact that one of the judges of the three-member bench, Justice D V Sharma, is to demit office on October one.

Earlier, Attorney General G E Vahanvati said that uncertainty should not be allowed to continue.

Appearing before the bench that included Justices Aftab Alam and K S Radhakrishnan, he said the most preferred solution to the problem would be settlement but it has not taken place and the uncertainty which is prevailing should not be allowed to continue.