The Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya title suit comes nine years after the 2:1 judgement of the Allahabad High Court that ordered a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acres of land between the three parties - Ram Lalla, Sunni Waqf Board and the Nirmohi Akhara.
The 5-judge panel headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi of the Supreme Court is delivering the judgement on the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit today.
Here is a brief profile of the 5-judge panel:
Rajan Gogoi
Rajan Gogoi started his practice in 1978 and mainly worked with the Gauhati high court. He was appointed as the permanent judge for teh Gauhati high court on February 28, 2001. Gogoi was later transferred to the Punjab and Haryana high court to take over as the Chief Justice from February 12, 2011. The very next year, on April 23, 2012, Gogoi again raised to teh rank of a Supreme Court judge and on October 3 2018, he was appointed as the Chief Justice of India.
The Gogoi led 5-judge panel heard arguments on the Ayodhya title case in 40 days and reserved judgement on October 16.
Apart from the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, Ranjan Gogoi will deliver three major judgements in India before his retirement on November 17. He will review petitions against the Supreme Court’s verdicts on Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple and the Rafale fighter jet deal, he will also deliver a judgement on the dispute of bringing the court and the CJI’s office under RTI.
Justice S A Bobde
S. A Bobe is the designated Chie Justice to take over after CGI Ranjan Gogoi’s retirement on November 17. He enrolled with the Bar council in 1978 from Maharashtra and practised at the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court. He was designated a senior advocate in 1998.
On March 29 2000, he was elevated to the bench of the Bombay high court as an additional judge. In October 2012, he gained the title of Chief justice of Madhya Pradesh high court. In April 2013, Justice Bobde was designated as a Supreme Court judge. Bobde retires as teh CGI of Madhya Pradesh high court on April 23, 2021.
Justice D Y Chandrachud
D.Y Chandrachud is known for his liberal ideas on fundamental rights, he has also been a part of several Constitution benches. He was designated as a senior advocate by the Bombay high court in 1998. He was appointed as a judge for the Bombay high court on March 29, 2000.
He was also elevated as the Chief Justice of Allahabad in October 2013 and to the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016.
Justice Ashok Bhushan
Ashok Bhushan enrolled with the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh as an advocate on April 6, 1979. He practised at teh Allahabad high court until his elevation to the bench. He was appointed as the senior vice-president of the Allahabad high court bar association.
In April he became the permanent judge of the Allahabad high court. He was appointed as the Chief Justice of Kerela high court on August 1, 2014.
Justice S Abdul Nazeer
S. Abdul Nazeer enrolled with the Bar Council on February 18, 1983, he is also the only Muslim judge on the panel for Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit. He practised with the Karnataka high court and was appointed as an additional judge of the Karnataka high court on May 12, 2003.
He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on February 17, 2017.
With inputs from Agencies
