The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will hear the Ayodhya case for an extra hour daily

The Supreme Court today decided to hear the Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid Ayodhya land dispute case for an extra hour everyday starting Monday to conclude the hearing before the October 18 - the deadline fixed by it.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, which was hearing the decades-old politically sensitive land dispute case on the 28th day, told the counsel for both the Hindu and Muslim parties that it has decided to rise at 5 pm instead of 4 pm, which is the scheduled time to end the day's proceedings in the top court.

"We can sit for extra one hour from Monday (September 23)," the bench which also comprise Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer said.

The Supreme Court has set October 18 as deadline for completion of all arguments in the protracted land title dispute, a move that has raised the possibility of a verdict in the politically sensitive case by the middle of November.

