Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land dispute: SC-appointed mediators to arrive in Ayodhya today

Lucknow: The Supreme Court-appointed three-member mediation team in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land dispute case is expected to arrive in Ayodhya on Tuesday. 

The three mediators - former Supreme Court judge FMI Kalifulla, senior advocate Sriram Panchu and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar – will oversee preparations being done by the state government ahead of the formal start of the mediation process.

Meanwhile, the All India Babri Masjid Action Committee Convenor Zafaryab Jilani has also called a meeting over the Ayodhya matter in Lucknow today.

All India Babri Masjid Action Committee Convenor Zafaryab Jilani calls a meeting of the Committee over Ayodhya matter, in Lucknow, today. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/3SxMd2AEmk — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2019

According to reports, the Yogi Adityanath government has come up with a mini secretariat inside the Awadh university campus to assist the Ayodhya mediation panel in its task.

As per the direction of the Supreme Court, all important facilities including lodging, negotiation room etc, have been set for the three Ayodhya mediators here. 

In view of the Supreme Court order directing all concerned to maintain confidentiality in the Ayodhya mediation process, no official communication about the movement of the members or their schedule has been made public.

According to sources, the three court-appointed mediators are expected to reach Ayodhya around 11 AM.

In the first leg, the mediation panel is expected to stay in Ayodhya for around three days, following which the further schedule will be worked out depending upon the progress in mediation and dialogue with the litigants in the case.

The Supreme Court had on Friday ordered mediation in the Ayodhya title suit. 

The order was passed by a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi.

Mediation will start within a week at Faizabad and state of UP has to make arrangements, the Supreme Court ruled. Mediation panel has to give its report within four weeks.

The top court directed both parties to maintain utmost confidentiality during the process of mediation, which will be held in-camera. The top court also restrained media from covering the Ayodhya mediation process.

The mediation panel will revert to the Supreme Court registry if there are any hurdles in the process of mediation, the five-judge bench ruled. The other judges on the bench are justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer.