CJI Ranjan Gogoi has again insisted that the Ayodhya hearings should be completed by October 18.

On the 32nd hearing in the Ayodhya land dispute in Supreme Court, CJI Ranjan Gogoi once again insisted that all arguments in the case should be completed by October 18. CJI Gogoi also said that all parties have 10-and-a-half days to finish this job.

CJI Ranjan Gogoi, whose tenure is nearing an end in November, said if the verdict is delivered in four weeks, the court "will achieve a miracle".

While insisting on the October 18 deadline, the Supreme Court bench said arguments should be completed taking into consideration the Diwali vacation of a week.

The Supreme Court bench had last week also offered to work overtime on Saturdays as well to complete hearings in the prolonged case of Ram-Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land title dispute.

The target date for completion of arguments assumes significance since Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who is heading the five-judge Constitution bench hearing the case, is due to demit office on November 17.

While setting the October 18 deadline, the Supreme Court also kept the mediation channels open and said the stakeholders are free to find an amicable solution through mediation, if they want, and place the settlement before the court.

The Constitution bench, which also comprised Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer, has so far heard the Ayodhya land dispute case for 32 days after it commenced the day-to-day hearing on August 6 following the failure of mediation proceedings initiated to find the amicable resolution.

(With inputs from Sanjay Sharma and Aneesha Mathur)