SC directs Allahabad HC to name two judicial officers in 10 days in Ayodhya land dispute matter

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court to nominate two additional district judges within ten days as observers to deal with the upkeep and maintenance of the disputed Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya.

The bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra passed the order after senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the Allahabad High Court registry, informed it that one of the observers has retired and the second one elevated as a judge of the high court.

Dwivedi also handed over to the apex court a list of additional district judges (ADJs) and special judges who could be considered for appointment as observers.

"As the list is long, we think it appropriate that chief justice of the Allahabad High Court shall nominate two persons from the cadre of additional district judges or special judges keeping in view the nature and tenor of the earlier orders passed in this case," the bench, also comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer, said.

The top court asked its registry to forward the order to the high court registrar and said, "the chief justice is requested to nominate two names within 10 days hence".

The apex court has constituted a three-judge bench headed by Justice Misra to hear a batch of petitions challenging the Allahabad HC verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had in 2010 ruled a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acres area at the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya.

The three-judge bench of the high court, by a 2:1 majority, had said the land be partitioned equally among three parties - the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

On July 21, a bench headed by former chief justice JS Khehar had said that it would soon take a decision to list the matter for early hearing.

The court's remark had come on a plea of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy who sought urgent listing and hearing of the matter.

Swamy had said that the main appeals against the Allahabad High Court order are pending for the last seven years in the apex court and these required urgent hearing.

He had also said that a separate petition had earlier been filed by him seeking enforcement of his right to worship without much hassle at the site.

The BJP leader had told the court that he has been allowed by the apex court to intervene in the matter and is seeking expeditious disposal of the cases. 

(With PTI inputs)