Supreme Court asked the UP government to examine his request, give its response within two weeks (File)

The trial judge in the Ayodhya temple-mosque case, Surendra Kumar Yadav, has asked the Supreme Court for police protection.

The top court, taking up his request today, told the Uttar Pradesh government to examine his request and give its response within two weeks.

Justices RF Nariman and Surya Kant noted that the demand is "reasonable" considering the enormity of the task he was given.

Special judge Surendra Kumar Yadav was appointed by the Supreme Court in 2017 to carry out day-to-day trials in the case and complete it within two years.

The Supreme Court had rebuked the CBI for dragging the trial for 25 years. The top court revived the trial, allowing fresh charges of criminal conspiracy to be brought against senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi Joshi and Uma Bharti, besides 10 others.

The judge was to retire on September 30 but was given an extension until his verdict.