Chronology of Babri Masjid land title dispute case

New Delhi: With the verdict of the much debated Babri Masjid land title dispute coming up in November, here is a brief timeline of how everything transpired.

1528: Babri Masjid built by Mir Baqi, commander of Mughal emperor Babur.

1885: Mahant Raghubir Das files plea in Faizabad district court seeking permission to build a canopy outside Babri Masjid structure. Court rejects plea.

1949: Idols of Ram Lalla placed under a central dome outside the disputed structure.

1950: Gopal Simla Visharad files suit in Faizabad district court for rights to worship the idols of Ram Lalla.

1950: Paramahansa Ramachandra Das files suit for continuation of worship and keeping the idols.

1959: Nirmohi Akhara files suit seeking possession of the site.

1981: UP Sunni Central Waqf Board files suit for possession of the site.

Feb 1, 1986: Local court orders the government to open the site for Hindu worshippers.

Aug 14, 1989: Allahabad HC ordered maintenance of status quo in respect of the disputed structure.

Dec 6, 1992: Babri Masjid structure demolished.

Apr 3, 1993: 'Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act' passed for acquisition of land by Centre in the disputed area.

1993: Various writ petitions, including one by Ismail Faruqui, filed at Allahabad HC challenging various aspects of the Act.

Oct 24, 1994: SC says in the historic Ismail Faruqui case that a mosque was not integral to Islam.

Apr, 2002: HC begins hearing on determining who owns the disputed site.

Mar 13, 2003: SC says, in the Aslam alias Bhure case, no religious activity of any nature be allowed at the acquired land.

Mar 14: SC says interim order passed should be operative till disposal of the civil suits in Allahabad HC to maintain communal harmony.

Sep 30, 2010: HC, in a 2:1 majority, rules three-way division of disputed area between Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

May 9, 2011: SC stays HC verdict on Ayodhya land dispute.

Feb 26, 2016: Subramanian Swamy files plea in SC seeking construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site.

Mar 21, 2017: CJI JS Khehar suggests out-of-court settlement among rival parties.

Aug 7: SC constitutes three-judge bench to hear pleas challenging the 1994 verdict of the Allahabad HC.

Aug 8: UP Shia Central Waqf Board tells SC mosque could be built in a Muslim-dominated area at a reasonable distance from the disputed site.

Sep 11: SC directs Chief Justice of the Allahabad HC to nominate two additional district judges within ten days as observers to deal with the upkeep of the disputed site.

Nov 20: UP Shia Central Waqf Board tells SC temple can be built in Ayodhya and mosque in Lucknow.

Dec 1: Thirty-two civil rights activists file plea challenging the 2010 verdict of the Allahabad HC.

Feb 8, 2018: SC starts hearing the civil appeals.

Mar 14: SC rejects all interim pleas, including Swamy's, seeking to intervene as parties in the case.

Apr 6: Rajeev Dhavan files plea in SC to refer the issue of reconsideration of the observations in its 1994 judgement to a larger bench.

Jul 6: UP government tells SC some Muslim groups were trying to delay the hearing by seeking reconsideration of an observation in the 1994 verdict.

Jul 20: SC reserves verdict.

Sep 27: SC declines to refer the case to a five-judge Constitution bench. Case to be heard by a newly constituted three-judge bench on October 29.

October 2018: The Supreme Court decides that the land dispute case will only be listed before an “appropriate Bench” in January 2019.

In what is seen as a setback to the BJP leaders pressing for a speedy disposal of the title suit, a Bench consisting Chief Justice Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph says, “the appropriate Bench will fix the schedule with regard to the hearing of appeals in the case”.

January 4, 2019: The Supreme Court defers hearing a bunch of petitions in the Ayodhya title dispute case till January 10.

“Further orders will be passed by an appropriate bench on January 10 for fixing the date of hearing the matter,” the Bench says.

January 8, 2019: The Supreme Court sets up a five-judge Constitution Bench to hear the land dispute case headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justices SA Bobde, NV Ramana, UU Lalit and DY Chandrachud.

January 10: Justice U U Lalit recuses himself prompting Supreme Court to reschedule the hearing for January 29 before a new bench.

January 25, 2019: Supreme Court reconstitutes 5-member Constitution Bench to hear the case. The new bench comprises Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer.

January 27, 2019: Supreme Court cancels the January 29 hearing due to non-availability of Justice SA Bobde.

January 29, 2019: Centre moves Supreme Court seeking permission to return the 67-acre acquired land around the disputed site to original owners.

February 20, 2019: Supreme Court decides to hear the case on February 26.

February 26, 2019: Supreme Court favours mediation, fixes March 5 for order on whether to refer the matter to a court-appointed mediator.

March 6, 2019: Supreme Court reserves order on whether the land dispute can be settled through mediation.

March 8, 2019: Supreme Court refers the dispute for mediation by a panel headed by former Supreme Court judge F M I Kallifulla.

May 10, 2019: Mediation team submits the final report to Supreme Court.

August 5, 2019: Supreme Court grants mediators some more time

August 6, 2019: Supreme Court begins day to day hearing.

October 2019: Supreme Court says it wants to wind up hearing by October 18

October 14, 2019: Ahead of the Babri Masjid verdict, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Aditynath imposes section 144 in Ayodhya till December 10.

October 15, 2019: CJI says will try and conclude hearing by October 16.

October 16, 2019: Babri Masjid land title dispute hearing concludes