SC defers Ayodhya-Babri land case hearing by eight weeks

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid land dispute case hearing by eight weeks to ensure that all parties engage and check the authenticity of translations of depositions and documents in the case.

A five-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, granted eight weeks' time to all the parties to engage and check the authenticity of the translations.

The top court also said it will pass orders on March 5, Tuesday, on the process of mediation in the case whether it would be needed to resolve the dispute or not.

Muslim parties and Nirmohi Akhara (parties in the case) are agreeable and submitted to the bench of the top court that they wanted to participate in mediation. Hindu parties, however, opposed to it saying it will serve no purpose except delaying it. 

The apex court said it wants to utilise these eight weeks' time-period adjournment to explore the possibility of mediation in the case.The other four judges in the five-judge bench were, Justices DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, SA Bobde and SA Abdul Nazeer.(UNI)