Ayodhya: Judge not available, SC cancels hearing The SC cancelled the Ayodhya case hearing scheduled for Jan 29 due to non-availability of Justice S A Bobde. The CJI on Jan 8 had placed the case before a five-judge bench and clarified on Jan 10 that his decision was in sync with the administrative powers of the CJI under SC Rules and in no way conflicted with the three-judge bench’s Sept 29 judgment.

NEW DELHI: The Union government on Tuesday moved Supreme Court seeking permission for returning to original owners the 67-odd acres of land it had acquired around the 2.77 acre disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land.The Centre said Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas has sought return of the excess land, acquired in 1991, to original owners.The Centre said that the excess land will be used to provide ingress and exit paths to the disputed site. It said that it doesn't want that whosoever wins the title suit is impeded of entry and exit (to the disputed site) because of lack of release of the said land.Centre said the SC, while refusing permission for 'shila pujan' ceremony at Ayodhya for Ram temple in 2003, had ordered maintenance of status quo on both the disputed land and the 67-odd acres of acquired land. It added that since the 67-odd acres of land, majority of which is claimed to have been with Ram Janam Bhoomi Nyas, is undisputed, and hence, it could be released to original owners.The Union government recalled that the top court in Ismail Faruqui judgment had said that the government could consider returning the 67-odd acres of acquired land surrounding the disputed land after the Allahabad HC judgment on civil suits.The government is of the view that keeping the excess land in its control will serve no useful purpose and hence it would be better to return the excess land to original owners.