Ayodhya dispute: Supreme Court to deliver verdict today

The Supreme Court will deliver the verdict on the Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case on Saturday. 

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi finished the hearing in the long-standing dispute on October 16. 

Justice Gogoi had said he would deliver the verdict before he retires on November 17. Other judges of the bench are Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SW Abdul Nazeer. 

The bench will sit in the Chief Justice's court on Saturday only to deliver the verdict. According to the Supreme Court cause list, the verdict will be pronounced at 10:30 am. 

Earlier on Friday, Gogoi met Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and other senior police officials over preparedness ahead of probable Ayodhya verdict.

The CJI, along with the officials, reviewed security arrangements in Ayodhya and asked if the state needs direction or additional help of any kind from the Centre, other states or from the Supreme Court.

The meeting took place inside CJI's chamber on Friday afternoon.

The five-judge bench was hearing appeals challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict, which ordered equal division of the 2.77-acre of disputed land in Ayodhya among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the Ram Lalla.

The 16th-century Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992. The top court had recently said that it would wrap up hearing in the case on October 17, a day earlier than it was scheduled to.