Ayodhya case verdict: Supreme Court to hear review petitions on December 12

New Delhi: A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will hold an in-chamber hearing on Thursday (December 12) to decide whether to hear review petitions in open court or not, against its Ayodhya case verdict. 

If the apex court decides to go for an open court hearing, then all parties will be heard again, and if the bench decides against it, the reconsideration petitions will be dismissed tomorrow.

So far, as many as seven petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging its November 9 decision in Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. 

Earlier on Monday, a group of 40 social workers also challenged the Supreme Court verdict in the Ayodhya case, filing reconsideration petitions in the matter. Among the social workers are Harsh Mander, Nandini Sundar, and Pravat Pattnaik.

"We have filed the reconsideration petitions seeking a modification of the November 9 verdict. The petition has demanded that the top court should reconsider its November 9 verdict with respect to the Ayodhya verdict," Mander was earlier quoted by ANI. 

Hindu Mahasabha has also filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against its order to grant five-acre land to be allotted to the Muslims for the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya. 

Last month, the Supreme Court had cleared the way for construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, directing the Centre to allot a separate five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board to build a mosque.

On November 9, a Supreme Court bench headed by then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had ordered that the central government within 3-4 months should formulate a scheme for setting up a trust and hand over the disputed site to it for construction of a temple at the site.

The apex court also added that an alternative five acres of land at a prominent location in Ayodhya should be allotted for the construction of a mosque following consultation between the Centre and the state government.