Supreme Court refused the plea made by senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan to refer a larger bench for the Ayodhya land dispute case, saying the issue was far more important than that of polygamy among Muslims and it has been referred to a Constitution bench.
Case will be now heard on April 27 when Sunni Waqf Board and Muslim Groups resume arguments why this should be heard by a larger bench, News18 reported.
Rajeev Dhavan, who was appearing for a Muslim party, presented the plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which said it will take a decision on referring the case to a larger bench after hearing all parties to the litigation.
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"The Ayodhya land dispute is far more important than polygamy among Muslims and the whole nation wants an answer," Dhavan told the bench.
The special bench of the apex court is seized of a total of 14 appeals filed against the high court judgement delivered in four civil suits.
Earlier, the apex court had dashed the hopes of activists like Shyam Benegal and Teesta Setalvad to intervene in the sensitive Babri Masjid-Ram Temple land dispute case, making it clear that only the parties to the original lawsuits would be allowed to put forth their arguments.
A three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had in 2010 ordered that the land be partitioned equally among three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
PTI
