SC refers Ayodhya land dispute case to mediation for amicable settlement

The Supreme Court on Friday referred Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case to mediation for amicable settlement.

Former apex court judge Justice (retd) F M Kallifulla will head a panel of mediators in the case. Other members of the panel of mediators include spiritual guru Shri Shri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu.

Supreme Court said that proceedings in the case will be held in Faizabad and process to start within a week.

The Court directs that the panel of mediators will file a progress report of the mediation proceedings within four weeks and the process should be completed within eight weeks.

Court also said that panel of mediators may co-opt more members and in case of any difficulty, they can inform apex court registry. The court directed in camera proceedings of mediation in Ayodhya case and restrained media - both print and electronic - from reporting the proceedings of mediation case.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Wednesday had reserved the order after hearing various contesting parties.

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 Lala. (AIR)

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