New Delhi | The Supreme Court today ordered mediation for a “permanent solution” in the Ayodhya Ramjanmabhoomi Title dispute.
The Constitutional bench also appointed a three bench panel of mediators which will be headed by Justice Khalifulah (Retd). The other member of the three bench panel also includes Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Senior Advocate Sriram Panchu. The constitutional bench also barred media from reporting mediation proceedings, which are to be held confidentially.
The Apex court said, “utmost confidentiality” should be maintained to ensure the success of mediation proceedings. “The mediation proceedings will be held in Faizabad and process to start within a week,” the court added. Also the bench directed that the mediation proceedings shall be completed within 8 weeks.
“The entire mediation process will be under in camera proceedings,” directed the top court. The constitutional bench also suggested the panel of mediators that they can co-opt more members and in case of any difficulty they can inform apex court registry
A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Wednesday had reserved the order after hearing various contesting parties. Hindu bodies except Nirmohi Akhara have opposed the suggestion of the apex court to refer the issue for mediation, while Muslim bodies have supported it.
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the case was not only about property but also about sentiment and faith. “It is not only about property. It is about mind, heart and healing, if possible,” the bench also comprising Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer said.
The top court had asked the contesting parties to explore the possibility of amicably settling the decades-old dispute through mediation, saying it may help in “healing relations”.
Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties — the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
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