Ayodhya Title Suit: SC Bench to Conduct Closed-door Proceedings Tomorrow on Mediation Panel Report

New Delhi: A day after concluding the marathon hearing in the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case, members of the five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court will sit "in chambers" on Thursday.

A notice in this regard has been issued by the Supreme Court saying that Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and four other judges will sit in chambers where parties involved are not allowed.

"Take notice that on Thursday the October 17, the Chief Justice, Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer will sit in chambers", the notice said.

The top court on Wednesday concluded the hearing in the Ayodhya case and reserved the judgment. The bench heard for 40 days the arguments of the Hindu and the Muslim parties.

It granted three days to contesting parties to file written notes on 'moulding of relief' or narrowing down the issues on which the court is required to adjudicate.

The protracted hearing in the Ayodhya dispute had entered the crucial final leg on October 14 when the apex court resumed proceedings on the 38th day after the week-long Dussehra break.

The Constitution bench, which started the day-to-day proceedings on August 6 after mediation proceedings failed to find an amicable solution to the vexatious dispute, had revised the deadline for wrapping up the proceedings.

It had taken note of the report of the three-member panel, comprising Justice FMI Kallifulla, spiritual guru and founder of the Art of Living foundation Sri Sri Ravishankar and senior advocate and renowned mediator Sriram Panchu, that mediation proceedings, which went on for about four months, did not result in any final settlement and it had to decide the matter pending before it.