High drama at Supreme Court: After Muslim party's counsel Rajeev Dhawan tears Ayodhya papers, CJI says 'we'll walk out'

The Supreme Court, in the 40th and last day of hearing in the case of Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid land title dispute, witnessed a dramatic spectacle when an infuriated Rajeev Dhawan, counsel representing the Muslim parties' Sunni Waqf Board, tore apart papers and maps handed over to him by senior advocate Vikas Singh, who was representing the All India Hindu Mahasabha. The map contained a depiction of the disputed 'Ram Janamsthan' or the alleged birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. The arguments have currently concluded and the Supreme Court has reserved its order, saying that the rest of the submissions can be made in written form in the next three days.

Sr Advocate Rajeev Dhavan appearing for one of the Muslim parties in #Ayodhya case teared down papers,maps handed over to him by counsel of All India Hindu Mahasabha. Dhavan was objecting to All India Hindu Mahasabha’s counsel trying to place publication by K Kishore

— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2019

Vexed by this unprofessional behaviour, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Ranjan Gogoi, issued a warning to Dhavan, sardonically saying, "You can shred him further." After the senior advocate did so, the exasperated CJI commented, "If these are the kind of arguments going on, then, we can just get up and walk out."

Senior advocate Dhavan reacted as such after the counsel for the Hindu Mahasabha presented a published book by Kunal Kishore - 'Ayodhya Revisited' - to construct their argument before the Bench at the Court. Dhavan took heavy objection to this line of argument and resorted to tearing apart the papers from the book as a protest. Later, the Hindu Mahasabha counsel Vikas Singh said that he had not disturbed the decorum of the Court.

Earlier today, CJI Ranjan Gogoi said that the daily hearings on the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid land dispute will end by 5 PM.

"By 5 PM this matter is going to be over. Enough is enough," Justice Gogoi had said while dismissing the intervention application filed by the Hindu Maha Sabha in the apex court seeking more time for arguments.

The five-judge bench Constitution bench headed by Justice Gogoi was hearing appeals challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict, which ordered equal division of the 2.77-acre of disputed land in Ayodhya among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the Ram Lalla.

The 16th-century Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992.

The top court had recently said that it would wrap up hearing in the case on October 17, a day earlier than it was scheduled to. The judgment is likely to be passed on November 4-5.