Ayodhya Dispute : Hearing To Begin On July 25 If Mediation Fails, Panel Asked To Submit Progress Report , Orders SC

The Supreme Court has asked the mediation panel constituted to resolve the politically sensitive Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute to submit a progress report of the same within a week.

A Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, asked for the progress report by July 18 to assess the status of the mediation and if an amicable resolution is at all viable.

Gopal Singh Visharad had filed an application for the early hearing of the case. Visharad, who is one of the original plaintiffs in the case, said no progress had been made in the mediation ordered by the Supreme Court to settle the issue.

The Supreme Court in March had constituted a three-member committee chaired by former SC judge Fakkir Mohammed Ibrahim Kalifulla, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior Madras High Court advocate Sriram Panchu.

The bench, while agreeing to look into the matter, had asked Visharad to file necessary application to this effect.

K Parasaran, senior lawyer for the applicant, seeking a date for early hearing in the case, said , “Since mediation is unlikely to bring any positive results, so the court should give a date for an hearing in the case.”

The SC will now hear the matter from July 25 if the mediation report does not suggest an amicable solution. “We deem it proper to request the head of the mediation panel Justice FM Kallifullah to submit a report by next Thursday,” says SC.

Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Muslim party, opposes the Hindu party’s plea, and alleges it is an attempt to intimidate them. Senior advocate K S Parasaran, appearing for Visharad, seeks judicial decision on matter.

Senior lawyer, Dr Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for one of the Muslim parties, says, “This is not the time to criticise the mediation committee. We have set up a mediation panel. We will have to wait for a report. Let the mediators submit a report on this.”

In effect, the Supreme Court asks the mediation panel to submit a detailed report by July 25.