A notice on the Supreme Court’s official website that announced the cancellation of Friday’s sittings in Court no. 9 and 14 where Hon’ble Justices DY Chandrachud and SA Nazeer sit in separate division benches led to much speculation in legal circles.
With only three working days before Chief Justice of India Shri Ranjan Gogoi demits office, the speculation centred mostly on the date of pronouncement of the much awaited Ayodhya verdict which is expected anytime now. The speculation gathered momentum after the CJI directed mentioning of all cases in court no. 2, where Justice Bobde sits. Also, in a near unprecedented move, the CJI had also called the UP Chief Secretary Mr. Rajendra Kumar Tiwari and the Director General of Police, Mr. Om Prakash Singh to discuss law and order arrangements in view of the impending verdict
Judgment was reserved on October 16, 2019 after a marathon hearing of 40 days in the appeal in Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid disputed land case before a bench of Hon’ble The Chief Justice, Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.A. Bobde, Hon’ble Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ashok Bhushan, and Hon’ble Mr. Justice S. Abdul Nazeer.
The Supreme Court notice dated November 7, 2019, reads,
“Take notice that the court no. 9 comprising HON. DR. JUSTICE D.Y. CHANDRACHUD and HON. MR. JUSTICE HRISHIKESH ROY stands cancelled and the matters shown before this court in the final and supplementary list for Friday the 8th November, 2019 will not be taken up for hearing and the same stands adjourned.
Take further notice that the matters shown before the bench comprising HON. MR. JUSTICE S. ABDUL NAZEER and HON. MR. JUSTICE R. SUBHASH REDDY in court no. 14 in the final and supplementary list for Friday the 8th November, 2019 will now be taken up for hearing by the Bench comprising Hon. Mr. Justice R. Subhash Reddy and Hon. Mr. Justice Hrishikesh Roy in this court.
Take further notice that HON. DR. JUSTICE D.Y. CHANDRACHUD and HON. MR. JUSTICE S. ABDUL NAZEER will sit in chambers.”
With a seeming confluence of events, the Ayodhya verdict is going to be pronounced anytime next week.
— India Legal Bureau