Submissions likely to be completed by Oct 18 in Ayodhya land dispute case: CJI

Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi on Wednesday said that submissions in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case are likely to be completed by October 18.

"As per the estimate of tentative dates to finish the hearing in the case, we can say that the submissions have to be likely completed by October 18," the CJI said.

The dates of finalising the submissions by all the parties were given as October 18, after which the CJI said that the arguments and submission will likely be completed by the mentioned date.

It is to be noted that Gogoi is set to retire on November 17, and he has to deliver the judgement before that as he had entirely heard the case from the beginning of the arguments.

The five-judge Constitution bench also said that simultaneously the mediation process can go along with the hearing, which is going on in the top court, and if an amicable settlement is reached through by it, the same can be filed before the court.

On Tuesday, the top court had asked the parties in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute to come up with a tentative time schedule or date when the arguments can be concluded.

On the 25th day of the arguments, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked all parties to apprise it as to when their arguments are likely to be completed, hinting that the court can pronounce the judgment as submissions are over.

The top court is hearing a batch of petitions filed by -- Hindu and Muslim and others sides -- challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, which divided the disputed site into three equal parts.

The day-to-day hearing started on August 6 after a court-appointed mediation panel failed to resolve the dispute through amicable settlement.