Sept. 23: As the Supreme Court deferred the pronouncement of the crucial Ayodhya land dispute judgment by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court due on Friday, questions are being raised by over two dozen litigating parties about the next course of action, particularly in the light of one of the three judges of the high court due to retire on October 1.
The immediate next possible course on September 28, when the deferral petition will come up again before the highest court, is that it might go to a larger bench, considering the sharp differences between the two judges — Justices R.V. Raveendran and H.L. Gokhale — on entertaining the petition.
In view of this, all eyes will now turn to Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapaidia as what decision he takes about listing of the case on September 28, as senior advocate Ravi Shankar Prasad, counsel for one of the litigants, after Thursday’s hearing brought this aspect to the sharply divided bench, which said the court would look into this aspect.
Since the Supreme Court has issued notice to Attorney-General Goolam, E, Vahanvati, seeking his assistance as well as opinion on the deferment issue, a clearer picture might emerge after he makes his stand as well as that of the Centre known. The court is already familiar with the positions of all the 28 parties to the four title suits.