Mediation in Ayodhya Dispute Fails

The Supreme Court has announced that the mediation efforts in the Ayodhya Land Dispute case have failed and a bench led by the Chief Justice of India will start to hear the case on a daily basis starting August 6, 2019.

There are 3 parties in the land dispute. While one side is the Nirmohi Akhara, other is a group representing the deity Ram Lalla and the third are the Muslim claimants of the land.

What was the mediation effort?

• The Supreme Court had directed a 3 member mediation council to hear the parties and if possible, bring them to an amicable solution.
• However, the mediation council made no headway and now the court will deliver the final verdict in the matter.

Why the matter is in the court?

• In 2010, the Allahabad High Court (which had been hearing the case from 2002) by a 2:1 verdict had ruled for a three-way division of disputed land between the 3 parties – the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Deity Ram Lalla.
• However, based on petitions filed on the verdict, the Supreme Court stayed the order delivered by the Allahabad High Court and has since then rejected several interim petitions in the case.

What happens now?

A Supreme Court bench led by the CJI will hear the case disputes daily. Initially, the responses from the respondents from the Nirmohi Akhara and Deity Ram Lalla will be heard following which the responses of the Muslim litigants will be heard.?