CJI-led Ayodhya bench to go out for dinner at Taj Mansingh

Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has planned a dinner with the four judges on the Ayodhya bench -- Chief Justice-designate S.A. Bobde, Justice Ashok Bhushan, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice S.A. Nazeer -- at Taj Mansingh in the capital on Saturday. It is learnt that the Chief Justice wanted to be out along with the four judges giving them a break from the hectic schedule in the run-up to the judgement pronounced today morning.

The five-judge bench began hearing on the Ayodhya title dispute on August 6. After 40 days of daily hearing on the matter, the court had reserved the verdict on October 17.

The bench ruled that the possession of the inner and outer courtyards will be handed over to a board of trustees of a trust to construct a temple.

The Allahabad High Court in 2010 had equally partitioned the 2.77 acre disputed land among three parties -- Ram Lalla Virajman, Nirmohi Akhara and the Sunni Waqf Board. The Supreme Court in a unanimous verdict overruled that judgement on Saturday and handed over the disputed site to Ram Lalla.

The Chief Justice on Friday met the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to take stock of law and order situation in the state. Later, at 9p.m. the Supreme Court notified the pronouncement of the Ayodhya judgement on its website.

The verdict runs into 1,045 pages. The five-judge bench has also directed the Centre to allot a 5-acre land to Muslims at a prominent place in Ayodhya to build a mosque.

IANS