New Delhi, May 9: A five-judge constitution bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice SA Bobde, Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S Abdul Nazeer will hold a hearing on the politically sensitive Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land dispute case tomorrow. The apex court is expected to take up a report of the mediation panel formed in a bid to resolve the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmbhoomi title suit dispute in Ayodhya.

In March, the Supreme Court had referred Babri Masjid-Ramjanmbhoomi land dispute case for court-appointed and monitored mediation for a "permanent solution". The three-member panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice F M I Kalifulla, with Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Shriram Panchu as members, began its efforts on March 13 at Faizabad to find some amicable solution of the contentious dispute. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Justice (Retd) Kalifullah And Sriram Panchu: All About The 3 Mediators Named by SC In Ayodhya Title Suit.

The top court had in March said that "utmost confidentiality" should be maintained to ensure success of the process and that it should be completed within eight weeks. The Allahabad High Court by its 2010 judgment had trifurcated the disputed site into three equal parts, giving one each to the Nirmohi Akhada, Ram Lalla and the Sunni Waqf Board. The Supreme Court is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the 2010 verdict. Mediation in Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Ayodhya Case: Asaduddin Owaisi, Nirmohi Akhara Oppose Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Inclusion.

While the Muslim litigants agreed to mediation as it was not divorced from the regular hearing on the batch of petitions challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, the Hindu litigants opposed it, saying that the birthplace of Lord Rama was a matter of faith and belief for them and they can't take a contrary position in mediation.

The suggestion for mediation was mooted by Justice Bobde, during the hearing when both the Hindu and the Muslim sides were sparring over the veracity of documents related to the case which were translated by the Uttar Pradesh government and filed with the apex court registry. (With agency inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 09, 2019 06:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).