CJI Ranjan Gogoi to deliver 5 judgments before retiring on November 17

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi will deliver at least five judgements in less than 10 working days before he retires on November 17. According to a report by The Hindu, the cases touch diverse topics such as defence, religion and politics.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

These judgements include the Ayodhya land dispute case. The Constitution Bench, led by CJI Gogoi, is expected to deliver its verdict in the cross-appeals filed by Hindu and Muslim parties seeking ownership of the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

The Supreme Court of India (SC), on October 16, had concluded hearing all arguments in the case and reserved its judgement in the matter.

A Review Bench led by CJI Gogoi is expected to either uphold or set aside its September 2018 judgment, which had lifted the ban on women in the menstruating age of 10 to 50 years, from entering the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala. As many as 65 petitions have been filed challenging SC’s authority to intervene in the matter.

The CJI-led bench had, on May 10, reserved verdict on a joint review plea filed by senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, former Union Ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha in the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.

The Bench led by the Chief Justice had reserve judgement on a criminal contempt plea filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Meenakshi Lekhi against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi, who was then the Congress president, had unconditionally apologised for wrongfully attributing the phrase 'chowkidar chor hai' to the Supreme Court. He had made the remark while speaking to reporters in April after SC’s verdict allowing the maintainability of the Rafale review pleas.

CJI’s Bench had also reserved its judgement on a pleas challenging constitutional validity of the Finance Act, 2017 on the ground that it was passed by Parliament as a Money Bill.