The Supreme Court began the final hearing in the Ayodhya land dispute case today, a day before the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the medieval-era mosque -- the Babri Masjid.

A specially constituted bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer are hearing a total of 13 appeals filed against the 2010 judgement of the Allahabad High Court in four civil suits.


Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rajeev Dhavan, representing the Sunni Waqf Board argued that a larger bench with either 5 or 7 judges should hear this case.


Kapil Sibal reading out in SC the details of exhibits filed by the contesting defendants before the Allahabad High Court told the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court that all these exhibits are not filled before this court. He submitted that all the pleadings are not complete.


Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the State of Uttar Pradesh rebutted all the arguments of Sibal. Mehta told the SC that all the related documents and requisite translation copies are on record.


Sibal who is representing Sunni Waqf Board raised doubts over assertions of ASG Mehta asking how was it possible for more than 19000 pages of documents to be filed in such short time.


Sibal told SC that he and the other petitioners have not been served relevant documents of pleadings. Sibal told the court that whenever this matter is heard, there are serious repercussions outside court and to preserve the decorum of law and order, and that he personally requests the court to take this matter up on July 15, 2019, once all the pleadings are complete.


Image: A hawan being conducted ahead of the hearing today