‘Enough is enough’: CJI Ranjan Gogoi says Ayodhya hearing to end at 5 pm

Arguments in the contentious Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case in Ayodhya will end at 5 pm, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said on Wednesday, refusing to accept an intervention application at this late stage.

“By 5 pm, this matter is going to be over… Enough is enough,” Chief Justice Gogoi, who heads the five-judge Constitution bench said soon after Wednesday’s hearing in the decades-old land dispute resumed.

The Constitution bench has heard the arguments for 39 days, today is the 40th day of hearing. It is the second-longest oral hearing in history by the court’s constitution bench. The longest is the 1972 Kesavananda Bharati case in which a bench of 13 judges ruled on Parliament’s powers. That hearing continued for 68 days.

Also Read: Ayodhya case hearing in Supreme Court draws to a close. A look at key arguments

In the Ayodhya case, the Supreme Court is hearing 14 appeals filed in the top court against the 2010 Allahabad high court judgment delivered in four civil suits. The verdict ruled that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among three parties — the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram).

A large section of Hindus believes the 16th century mosque, Babri Masjid, was built over a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Ram, whose birthplace is also considered to be at the site. The mosque was demolished by a mob of thousands in 1992, triggering a cycle of violence and riots across India.

The top court had earlier this year explored the possibility of mediation to resolve the long-pending dispute amicably. A three-member panel led by retired judge justice FM Ibrahim Kalifulla and comprising Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu tried to work out a resolution but failed. The Constitution bench subsequently held daily hearings from August.