New Delhi:
All eyes are now on the Supreme Court's decision, expected at 2 p.m. today, on whether there will be an early High Court verdict on the Ayodhya title suit or not.
The Supreme Court is hearing a plea to defer that verdict, with the petitioner seeking an out-of-court settlement of the matter.
If the Supreme Court gives a go-ahead to the High Court, the latter would have two-days to pronounce verdict. Because Justice DV Sharma of the Allahabad High Court retires on October 1.
Justice Sharma is one of the judges of the Lucknow High Court bench hearing the Ayodhya title suit case. If Justice Sharma retires before the verdict, arguments will have to be heard again in the case, which is already 60 years old.
There is the option of an extension being granted to the judge, but the Attorney-General, representing the Centre in the Supreme Court said today that extension for a retiring judge had to come from the Chief Justice of the High Court and that the Centre had no role to play.
Counsel for the retired bureaucrat, Ramesh Chand Tripathi, who has petitioned the Supreme Court to defer the Ayodhya verdict, has said Justice Sharma should get an extension and the Nirmohi Akhara, a key party in the case has too suggested that he be given an extension.