Ayodhya: Parties can resort to Mediation to settle the dispute, Supreme Court

The Supreme Court today made it clear that there is no bar on parties attempting to settle the dispute in the Ayodhya case through mediation..The Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi passed an order to that effect, stating that the parties can settle the dispute through means including mediation and place the result of the same before the Court..This would mean that mediation can proceed simultaneously if the parties so desire, notwithstanding the fact that the hearing in the case is progressing before the Supreme Court..The Supreme Court today also expressed hope that it will be able to conclude the hearing in the case by October 18. This was after considering the time schedule submitted by parties within which they are likely to finish their respective arguments..“Let us make a joint effort to complete it by October 18”, CJI Ranjan Gogoi remarked..The Ayodhya case is being heard by a Constitution Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer..Hearings had commenced on August 6, with arguments being made on behalf of the Nirmohi Akhara. In the following hearings, submissions were also made on behalf of the deity Ram Lalla and the Ram Janmabhoomi Punaruddhar Samiti. After arguments on behalf of the Hindu parties to the Ayodhya dispute concluded, arguments have commenced on behalf of the Muslim parties to the case..In March this year, the Bench referred the Ayodhya dispute to a mediation panel comprising former Supreme Court judge Justice FMI Kalifulla, spiritualist Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and Senior Advocate Sriram Panchu..However, after the mediation route failed to deliver any result, the Court passed an order intimating that it would hear the case on a day-to-day basis..Read the live updates of yesterday’s arguments here..[Read Order]