Ayodhya verdict: All about the 5 judges who will deliver the judgement

The Constitution bench of the SC, comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, and S Abdul Nazeer is set to deliver the verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case. They heard appeals filed against the Allahabad High Court who gave judgement in this matter in 2010, partitioning the 2.77 acre land among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla. Conducting daily hearings, the bench had reserved its verdict on October 16. Here is an explainer on the judges who will pronounce the judgement:

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi 

Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi became the first person from the northeast to be appointed to India’s top judicial position in October 2018. While he became a permanent judge of the Gauhati High Court on February 28, 2001, he eventually became the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In April 2012, he was elevated to the Supreme Court. He has heard several landmark cases throughout his career such as the National Register of Citizens and the Rafale deal.  

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Justice Sharad Bobde 

After over two decades of law practice, Justice Bobde was elevated to the Bench of the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000, as an Additional Judge. He was sworn in as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court on October 16, 2012, and elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on April 12, 2013. Justice Bobde has delivered verdicts in the Supreme Court including the validity of Aadhaar. He will retire on April 23, 2021.  

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Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachud 

A Harvard law graduate, Justice Chandrachud was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court in May 2016. He is renowned for his progressive court verdicts on issues like the right to privacy, etc. Justice Chandrachud has been a visiting professor of Comparative Constitutional Law at the University of Mumbai and the Oklahoma University School of Law in the United States. He is the son of YV Chandrachud, the longest-serving Chief Justice of India.  

Read: 5000 Troops Deployed In Ayodhya Ahead Of SC's Ayodhya Verdict

Justice Ashok Bhushan 

Justice Bhushan was elevated to the Allahabad High Court in April 2001. Subsequently, he was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court in March 2015. Finally, he was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016.  

Justice Abdul Nazeer 

Appointed as a permanent judge of the Karnataka High Court in 2003, he was elevated to the Supreme Court on February 17, 2017. He was part of the judgement on the practice of Triple Talaq. Justice Nazeer contended that while Triple Talaq was "sinful in theology," the court could not interfere in personal laws.  

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