Ayodhya case: SC to hear tomorrow contempt plea of senior advocate

The Supreme Court will hear tomorrow a contempt plea by senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who has said he was threatened for appearing on behalf of Muslim parties in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case.

The petition was mentioned on Monday by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal before a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for urgent hearing.

"We are listing the matter for tomorrow," Justice Gogoi said. The Ayodhya case is being heard by the bench.

Dhavan, who is appearing for Sunni Central Waqf Board, had filed the contempt petition against Chennai-based Professor N Shanmugam for allegedly threatening him and asking him not to appear for the Muslim parties in the case.

According to the petition, Dhavan received a letter dated August 14, 2019, from Shanmugam, allegedly threatening him.

The plea filed through Advocate-on-Record Ejaz Maqbool has sought initiation of contempt proceedings against Shanmugam.

Fourteen appeals are pending before the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict which ordered equal division of the 2.77-acre disputed land in Ayodhya among the three parties- Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.