Indian top court orders arbitration in Babri Masjid land dispute

NEW DELHI: The Indian Supreme Court according to Indian media reports on Friday ordered mediation to settle the Babri Majid title dispute case.

The panel has been given eight weeks by the court to arrive at a conclusion and four weeks to give a status report.

The Supreme Court referred the case for mediation and said the process will be held in Faizabad.

The three members, however, have the liberty to get more people on board if they want, said the top court.

The mediation committee comprises of former Indian SC judge Justice Ibrahim Khalifulla, senior advocate Sri Ravi Shankar and Sriram Panchuas.

Furthermore, the court directed both parties to maintain utmost confidentiality during the process of mediation, which will be held in-camera.

There ought not to be any reporting in print or electronic of the mediation process, the court further said.

On Wednesday the Indian SC had had reserved its judgment in the case after hearing both sides on the proposal to try out mediation as an alternative to litigation to settle the decades-old dispute.