Mediation efforts failed in the sensitive Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case 

Mediation in Ayodhya dispute case failed as no consensus had reached among some parties. The mediation which was set by Supreme Court in March held its meetings to resolve the land dispute of Ram temple-Babri Masjid amicably.

“Mediation didn’t result in any kind of settlement,” said Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi in a six-minute hearing.

Even though the three-member panel appointed by SC did its best by talking to different groups to reach out for a settlement, but they could not arrive at any consensus. Supreme Court on Friday decided to hear the case for day to day basis. Hearing will start from August 6, and it will continue till arguments are complete.

The RSS welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case daily.

A bench of apex court, led by Chief Justice of India, asked parties to remain prepared with the pleadings and evidence and give an advance copy to Registry which shall keep the matter ready before hearing begins. The CJI on Friday’s hearing said that the mediation panel has failed to come up with final settlement.

The panel, formed on March 8 by SC and worked under apex courts observation, on Thursday submitted a sealed cover along its report before the SC bench. The bench was headed by Justice FMI Kalifulla, which on July 1 asked the panel to continue with mediation and submit the report on the progress by July 31.

After Justice Kalifulla’s retirement, CJI Ranjan Gogoi is leading the bench, which comprises of Justice SA Bobde, Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S Abdul Nazeer.

The mediation panel also comprises of Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior Madras High Court advocate Sriram Panchu. Fourteen appeals are pending before the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict which ordered equal division of the 2.77 acres disputed land in Ayodha among the Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhra and Ram Lalla. As the CJI will retire on November 17, so it is expected that the verdict on the case will come before that.