Ayodhya Verdict: Know the 5 Supreme Court judges set to deliver historic ruling

The Supreme Court of India (SC), on November 9, will deliver its verdict in the Ayodhya title suit case at 10.30 am.

The matter before the apex court is an appeal against the verdict delivered by the Allahabad High Court in 2010.

The High Court had, in the absence of a title, divided the 2.7 acre land at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh equally between the three primary parties -- Bhagwan Ramlalla Virajman, Nirmohi Akhara and Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board.

In a 40-day marathon daily hearing on the matter, all parties had presented their arguments to a Supreme Court Constitutional Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justices SA Bobde (CJI elect), DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer.

For live updates on the Ayodhya verdict, click here

As the matter is sensitive, adequate measures are being taken up by the Centre and the states to maintain law and order. Security has been beefed up in Ayodhya, as well as across Uttar Pradesh ahead of the top court’s ruling on the matter. Security has been stepped up in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and Mumbai, Maharashtra.

In a series of tweets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on November 8, appealed to the people that the priority should be to strengthen India's tradition of maintaining peace and harmony after the verdict is pronounced.

Here’s a quick look at the Supreme Court judges who will be delivering the landmark verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case:

CJI Ranjan Gogoi

Ranjan Gogoi, the outgoing CJI, hails from Assam. In October 2018, he became the first person from the Northeast to assume the country’s top judicial office.

Born on November 18, 1954, Gogoi was enrolled as an advocate in 1978. He practised in the Gauhati High Court on constitutional, taxation and company matters. He was appointed as a permanent judge of the Gauhati High Court on February 28, 2001.

On September 9, 2010, he was transferred to Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was appointed as Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court on February 12, 2011 and then a judge of the Supreme Court on April 23, 2012.

On November 8, he held a meeting with top Uttar Pradesh officials to review security arrangements in the state.

Gogoi is set to retire on November 17.

Justice SA Bobde

Bobde will assume the country’s top judicial office on November 18, a day after Gogoi retires. Justice Bobde is currently the senior-most judge in the top court after the CJI.

He had joined the Bombay High Court as an additional judge in 2000. He was later appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Bobde was elevated to the apex court in 2013. CJI-designate Bobde is expected to have a tenure of one year and five months and will retire on April 23, 2021.

Justice DY Chandrachud

Chandrachud was appointed as a Supreme Court judge in 2016 by then president Pranab Mukherjee.

He is a Harvard law graduate. Earlier, he had served in the Bombay and Allahabad High Courts.

Over time, he has been known to overturn rulings that were believed to have become obsolete, including the adultery law.

Justice Abdul Nazeer

Nazeer practised in the Karnataka High Court for two decades before being appointed as an additional judge there in 2003. He was made a permanent judge a year later. He was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2017.

Nazeer made headlines that year when he was part of the bench that ruled that the practice of triple talaq is "sinful in theology" and that the apex court cannot interfere in personal laws. This led to the Centre banning the practice by introducing a law.

Justice Ashok Bhushan

Bhushan started his career in 1979 and practised as an advocate in the Allahabad High Court. He became a judge there in 2001, before being transferred to Kerala High Court in 2014. He became the Acting Chief Justice there a few months later.

Justice Bhushan was appointed as the Chief Justice of the court in 2015 before being appointed to the top court in 2016.