Ayodhya land dispute: HC to appoint observers

The Supreme Court has directed the Allahabad High Court to appoint two judges who will act as observers for the contentious Babri Masjid-Ram Temple site in Ayodhya. The two observers will ensure that the status quo on the title of the disputed site is maintained.

Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the high court, had submitted a list of more than 20 names. However, the top court left the final decision to be made by the high court itself. The bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra along with Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer further suggested that these observers/judges must be selected from the districts of Faizabad, Sultanpur and Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. The top court observed that the tenure of the judges and any other issues must be factored in while making the final decision.

The direction came when the bench was informed that the two judges — who had held the post as observers for 14 years — needed to be replaced. While one judge has retired, the other has been elevated to the high court.

A specially constituted three-judge bench is scheduled to begin hearing the final arguments on the title dispute over Babri Masjid on December 5. The date was finalised at the urging of Uttar Pradesh and several factions favouring the construction of the Ram Temple on the disputed site.