VERDICT TODAY ON AN ARTICLE OF FAITH

SECURITY ENHANCED FOR AYODHYA JUDGES

After seven decades of a long-drawn legal battle, the Supreme Court on Saturday will pronounce the judgment in the Ayodhya title dispute case at 10.30 am on Saturday.

The notice on the judgment was uploaded on the website of the court late evening on Friday, even as the nation was glued to TV watching the saffron alliance come unstuck in Mumbai.

There was no clarity on the date of the verdict until now, other than the fact that it would be delivered before Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi retires on November 17. Justice SA Bobde, who will take over as the next Chief Justice, had called the Ayodhya case "one of the most important in the world".

On the last day of the hearing, the Hindu parties urged the court to take into consideration faith of the millions of people attached with the birthplace of Lord Ram, and the Muslim parties pleaded for restoration of the Babri Masjid, as it was, before the demolition in 1992.

The court began the daily hearing after the court-appointed mediation panel headed by former Supreme Court Justice F.M.I. Kalifulla and comprising spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar along with senior advocate Sriram Panchu, failed to evolve a consensus among the sparring parties.

On the last day of the hearing, the Muslim parties urged the court to allow the matter to be settled between parties without passing a judgement.

During the hearing, the judges had asked piercing questions, specifically focussed on the articles of faith and their legal nuances, to both parties.

The Allahabad High Court in 2010 through a judgement equally partitioned the dispute 2.77 acre land between - Ram Lalla Virajman, Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Waqf Board. A total of 14 appeals were filed in the apex court in four civil suits.

"The Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya would not be a matter of victory or loss. My appeal to countrymen is that it should be our priority that the verdict should strengthen

India's great tradition of peace, unity and amity – PM MODI