SC constitutes 5-judge Constitution bench for Ayodhya

A five-Judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has been constituted to hear the title suit in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Ayodhya case, which will begin hearing on January 10.

The others in the bench will be Justice S.A. Bobde, Justice N.V. Ramana, Justice U.U. Lalit and Justice D.Y. Chandrchud according to a notice issued by the Additional Registrar (Listing) on Tuesday. The four justices will become the Chief Justice of India in that order at some point of time in future.

Justice Bobde will succeed Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi in November this year. Justice Ramana will succeed Justice Bobde followed by Justice Lalit and Justice Chandrachud.

The Supreme Court on Friday had said the bench that will hear a batch of cross petitions challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment on the Ayodhya title suit will decide the future course of the hearing.

Taking up the applications for early hearing, a bench of CJI Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul had said further orders on the course of the hearing will be passed by the bench which will be constituted on January 10.

The Allahabad High Court had in 2010 trifurcated the disputed site, giving one portion each to Ram Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara and the original Muslim litigant.

--IANS

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