The panel of mediators is “optimistic” about an amicable solution to the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute at Ayodhya, the Supreme Court said Friday while extending till August 15 the time for completion of the process.
A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief JusticeRanjan Gogoi, said it received a report from former apex court judge Justice FM I Kalifulla, who is the chairman of the panel, in which the committee hassought extension till August 15 to complete the mediation proceedings.
“If the mediators are optimistic about the result andare seeking time till August 15, what is the harm in granting time? This issuehas been pending for years and years. Why should we not grant time,” thebench, also comprising Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SAbdul Nazeer, told the counsel appearing for the parties concerned.
“They (panel) have submitted to the court to considerextension of time, which we are inclined,” the bench said at the outset.
The apex court had on March 8 referred the matter to thepanel of mediators for exploring possibility of an amicable settlement andappointed Justice (retd) Kalifulla, spiritual guru and founder of Art of Livingfoundation Sri Sri Ravishankar and senior advocate and renowned mediator SriramPanchu as members of the mediation committee.
During the brief hearing on Friday, the counsel appearingfor both the Hindu and Muslim parties expressed confidence over the ongoingmediation proceedings and said they are fully cooperating with the process.
When one of the lawyers raised the issue of translatedcopies of several documents in vernacular languages, the bench said they havereceived a report on May 7 from the chairman of the panel and “the memberof the committee have not expressed any such difficulty”.
“We have perused and considered the report of May 7 ofJustice F M I Kalifulla indicating the progress made in the mediationproceeding. Chairman of the mediation committee has sought extension of time tillAugust 15 to enable the committee to find an amicable solution. We are inclinedto grant time till August 15,” the bench said, adding that the panel wouldsubmit its report to the court after that.
One of the advocates appearing in the matter said the apexcourt had earlier given eight weeks time to the panel of mediators to completethe proceedings and now nine weeks have gone by.
“We had giveneight weeks and the report has come. We are not inclined to tell you what isthere in the report of the committee,” the bench said.
One of the counsel told the bench that there are around13,990 pages of documents in several vernacular languages and said some wrongtranslations have been made which would be a problem.
The counsel also read out the contents of a translated copyof the statement of a witness in the case and said that wrong translation hasbeen made.
“Objections, if any, on the translation may be placedon the record by written note by June 30,” the bench said, adding,”Nobody will come in the way of mediation”.In its March 8 order, the top court had askedthe panel of mediators to hold in-camera proceedings and complete them withineight weeks.