Supreme Court fixes 9-month deadline for ruling in Babri case

The Supreme Court on Friday fixed a nine-month deadline for completion of trial and pronouncement of judgment in the Babri Masjid demolition case, in which prominent BJP leaders L K Advani and M M Joshi are among the accused.

“Judgment in this case must be delivered maximum within a period of nine months from now,” a bench of Justices R F Nariman and Surya Kant ordered while directing that the tenure of the Special Judge S K Yadav hearing the matter be extended till the judgment is delivered.

Friday’s order means that judgment in the case will have to be delivered before April 19, 2020.

The judge who is set to retire by the end of September this year had written to the court saying that despite best efforts, he would need six more months to conclude the matter.