India News

Ayodhya case: Decision on scheduling hearing put off to Jan 29 after judge recuses from Bench

Published

8 years ago

January 10, 2019

Hearing of the eagerly awaited, politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid land title dispute in the Supreme Court was today (Thursday, Jan 10) put off till Jan 29 after Justice Uday U Lalit recused himself from the case for previously being a lawyer in a related case.

The court will now constitute a new bench for deciding the schedule of hearing the case on January 29.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi had set up a Constitution bench comprising himself and Justices SA Bobde, NV Ramana, UU Lalit, DY Chandrachud to decide the date when they will begin hearing the 14 appeals in the case.

However, Justice UU Lalit recused himself from the case after senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for the Muslim side pointed out that he had once appeared as a lawyer for former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh in another case related to the land dispute in 1994. Though Dhavan said he was not seeking Justice Lalit’s recusal, the judge opted out of the hearing in the matter.

The constitution bench will now have to be reconstituted when the matter comes up for hearing next on January 29.

As soon as the bench assembled this morning to hear the Ayodhya matter, the CJI clarified that the case had been listed on the day not for arguments but only to decide the schedule for the commencement of the proceedings.

On Tuesday, in a surprise move, CJI Ranjan Gogoi had formed a five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by him, to hear the case. Using his discretionary powers to list the matter before a Constitution Bench without a fresh reference being made in the case for such a request, the CJI had indicated that, although, his predecessor had declared that the case will be treated purely as a title dispute, the top court may now also be open to larger questions of constitutional relevance involved in the case.

When the matter was last taken up on January 4, there was no indication that the case would be referred to a Constitution bench as the apex court had simply said further orders in the matter would be passed on January 10 by “the appropriate bench, as may be constituted”.

Days before he demitted office, then Chief Justice Dipak Misra had, in September, while pronouncing a verdict in the Ismail Faruqui reference, said that the Ayodhya matter did not need to be heard by a bench of a larger composition than three judges. The verdict had also upheld a controversial observation in the Ismail Faruqui case of mid-1990s, which was linked with the main matter of the Ayodhya title suit, that stated “a mosque is not integral to Islam” and hence was not a perquisite for offering namaz.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Misra had then said that the hearing in the Ayodhya matter could resume from October 29 (by when Justice Gogoi would be elevated to the top post of the apex court). However, upon assuming office, Chief Justice Gogoi had earlier put off the hearing in the case till January this year, declaring that an “appropriate bench” would be constituted for adjudicating proceedings in the matter.

On Thursday, senior advocate Dhavan, appearing for the Muslim petitioners in the case, objected to the CJI’s decision of forming a Constitution Bench to hear the suit without any fresh reference being made for the purpose. However, the Bench, in unison, rejected Dhavan’s contention stating that the CJI had used his discretion and was permitted to do so as per the Supreme Court Rules.

The bench also overruled Dhavan’s claim that the Chief Justice had, in forming a Constitution Bench in the case, gone against an earlier verdict in the matter that said a three-judge bench was competent to adjudicate the pleas.

Dhavan also pointed out that the verdict in the title suit, delivered by the Allahabad High Court, runs into over 4300 pages and a large number of documents related to the case still need to be translated and circulated to all parties and their lawyers.

The bench then directed the Supreme Court registry to appoint official translators for the documents and also assess how much time it would take to complete the process of translations. The translations have to be made into English and Hindi from documents that are written in Arabic, Sanskrit and Gurmukhi, aside from some other vernacular languages.

The apex court said in its order that 113 issues are likely to be perused during the hearing. It also noted that 88 witnesses were examined and their statements recorded when the matter was before the Allahabad high court. It said the deposition of the witnesses runs into 2,886 pages and 257 documents were exhibited.

The apex court noted that the high court judgement itself is 4,304 pages; along with additional annexures it runs into 8,000 pages.

Fourteen appeals against the September 30, 2010 decision of the Allahabad High Court — which accepted that the disputed site was birthplace of Lord Ram and ordered a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acres, giving a third each to the Nirmohi Akhara sect, the Sunni Central Wakf Board, UP, and Ramlalla Virajman — have been pending since December of that year.

Right-wing organisations, including the RSS, have been demanding an early decision on the dispute. Demands seeking an ordinance for construction of a Ram temple have also gained momentum.

Up Next

Supreme Court commutes death sentence to Santosh Mane, a driver who killed 9 people, to life term

Don't Miss

Nagpur man urges cops to find his stolen heart

India News

Indian Army Agniveer CEE Result 2026 declared, ARO-wise merit list released

The Indian Army has announced the Agniveer CEE Result 2026. Candidates can now download the ARO-wise merit list and check their eligibility for the next stages of recruitment.

Published

6 hours ago

July 13, 2026

APNLive Desk

The Indian Army has announced the Agniveer Common Entrance Examination (CEE) Result 2026, allowing candidates to check their qualifying status through the official recruitment portal. The Army Recruitment Office (ARO)-wise merit lists have been uploaded on joinindianarmy.nic.in, where candidates can download the PDF corresponding to their recruitment region.

The merit lists contain the names and roll numbers of candidates who have successfully cleared the written examination and become eligible for the next phase of the Agniveer recruitment process.

How to check Indian Army Agniveer CEE Result 2026

Candidates can access their results by following these steps:

Visit the official Indian Army recruitment website.
Click on the Agniveer CEE Result 2026 link available on the homepage.
Select the relevant Army Recruitment Office (ARO) or recruitment region.
Download the merit list PDF.
Search for your roll number or name to confirm your qualification status.

What happens after the Agniveer CEE result?

Candidates shortlisted in the Common Entrance Examination will now have to undergo the remaining stages of the recruitment process. These include:

Physical Fitness Test (PFT)
Physical Measurement Test (PMT)
Document Verification (DV)
Medical Examination

Only candidates who successfully clear every stage will be considered for final selection under the Agniveer recruitment programme.

Candidates advised to verify details carefully

After downloading the merit list, candidates should carefully check all the information mentioned in the document. If they notice any discrepancy related to their result or personal details, they should immediately contact their respective Army Recruitment Office (ARO) for assistance.

Candidates are also advised to keep checking the official Indian Army recruitment portal for updates regarding the schedule, venue and instructions for the upcoming physical tests, document verification and medical examination.

India News

Delhi air quality slips to poor as AQI reaches 261, highest in over 85 days

Delhi’s air quality entered the ‘poor’ category after AQI touched 261, its highest level since April 17. Authorities attributed the spike to transnational dust from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

Published

6 hours ago

July 13, 2026

APNLive Desk

Delhi’s air quality fell into the ‘poor’ category on Sunday after the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) climbed to 261, marking its highest level in more than 85 days, according to official data.

The reading was the highest since April 17, when the AQI stood at 263. Just a day earlier, Delhi had recorded an AQI of 140, while air quality had largely remained in the ‘moderate’ and ‘satisfactory’ categories for most of the month.

Transnational dust behind spike in pollution

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the sudden deterioration in Delhi-NCR’s air quality was mainly caused by long-range winds carrying mineral dust generated by storm activity in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

According to the commission, these dust-laden winds reached northwestern India, including Delhi, resulting in a significant rise in PM10 concentrations. Strong surface winds across the Indo-Gangetic Plain also contributed to the increase in pollution levels.

The CAQM said Delhi’s air quality is expected to remain in the ‘poor’ category for the next few days before improving once the transnational dust spell weakens.

No GRAP Stage-I restrictions for now

Despite the worsening air quality, the CAQM decided not to implement GRAP Stage-I restrictions, stating that the current pollution episode has been triggered by transnational dust rather than local emission sources.

However, the commission directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to intensify dust control measures across the city.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 201 and 300 falls under the ‘poor’ category.

Delhi experiences humid weather

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the maximum temperature at Safdarjung reached 36.8 degrees Celsius, which was 1.3 degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 28.3 degrees Celsius, one degree above the seasonal average.

Although the actual maximum temperature remained below 37 degrees Celsius, high humidity pushed the feels-like temperature to 45.7 degrees Celsius by 5:30 pm.

Among other weather stations, maximum temperatures were recorded at 37 degrees Celsius at Lodhi Road, 36.6 degrees Celsius at Palam, 36.2 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar and 36 degrees Celsius at Ridge.

Minimum temperatures stood at 27.1 degrees Celsius in Palam, 27.2 degrees Celsius in Lodhi Road, 27.4 degrees Celsius in Ayanagar and 25.6 degrees Celsius at Ridge.

Weather outlook

The IMD has forecast strong surface winds during the daytime on Monday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to remain around 37 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Relative humidity varied between 64 per cent at 8:30 am and 52 per cent at 5:30 pm.

India News

Red Fort bomb threat declared hoax after extensive security checks in Delhi

Delhi Police declared a bomb threat targeting the Red Fort a hoax after conducting a detailed security search following an alert received from Mumbai Police.

Published

2 days ago

July 11, 2026

APNLive Desk

Delhi’s iconic Red Fort witnessed heightened security on Saturday after authorities received a bomb threat targeting the historic monument. Following a detailed inspection and sanitisation drive, Delhi Police confirmed that the threat was a hoax and no explosives were found.

Threat call routed through Mumbai Police

According to officials, the threat was initially received by the Mumbai Police Control Room. The caller allegedly claimed that the Red Fort would be blown up.

Mumbai Police immediately shared the information with the Delhi Police Control Room, which alerted the North District Police. Security personnel were deployed at the monument, and a comprehensive search operation was launched to ensure public safety.

After completing the inspection, officials ruled out any security risk and declared the threat to be false.

Security concerns remain high after previous terror incident

The latest threat comes around eight months after a deadly vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) blast near the Red Fort Metro Station claimed 15 lives and left several others injured.

Investigators had alleged that the blast was carried out by Umar-un-Nabi, a Kashmiri doctor associated with Al-Falah University in Faridabad, who was driving a Hyundai i20. The explosion occurred on the same day security agencies recovered around 2,900 kg of explosives, including ammonium nitrate, from neighbouring Faridabad in Haryana.

According to investigators, the accused allegedly triggered the explosion after two suspected associates were arrested and the explosives were seized during the operation.

Authorities had identified several other accused linked to the case. Investigators alleged that the group was part of a white-collar terror module associated with Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist organisation.

Earlier arrests linked to alleged attack plots

In May, Delhi Police’s Special Cell arrested nine men who were allegedly linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

Police alleged that the accused were planning attacks on critical infrastructure and security personnel in Delhi, Mumbai and other parts of the country. According to investigators, potential targets included airports, railway stations, power plants and other vital installations.

Although Saturday’s bomb threat was found to be fake, the incident once again prompted swift security measures at one of the country’s most significant heritage sites.