SC to hear Ram-Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute matter on February 26

NEW DELHI:  The Supreme Court Wednesday said that it will hear Ayodhya's Ram-Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid land dispute matter on February 26.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi will hear the case.

On January 27, the top court had cancelled the scheduled hearing for January 29 as one of the five judges of the Constitution Bench, Justice S A Bobde, was not available on that day.

Besides CJI and Justice Bobde, the other members of the bench are Justices D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer.

On February 26, the SC bench will hear the appeals against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment in which the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya was divided equally among three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla by the court. The Allahabad HC had delivered the verdict after hearing four civil suits. 

Few weeks ago, the Central government had filed a plea in the SC seeking permission for the release of 67 acres of excess vacant land acquired around the disputed Ayodhya site. The Centre urged that the surplus land be handed over to Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, a trust formed to promote and oversee the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. 

In its petition, the Centre had told told apex court that 67-acre-land was acquired by the government after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 out of which only 2.77 acre is disputed and thus the remaining land should be returned to the original owners - Ram Janambhoomi Nyas.