Five judge bench headed by CJ Ranjan Gogoi pointed out the gravity of the matter

New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it was conscious of the gravity of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute and the outcome of mediation, on the body politic of the country. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the case was not only about property but also about sentiment and faith.

The Supreme Court is to decide whether such a sensitive matter should be decided via mediation or not.

"It is not only about property. It is about mind, heart and healing, if possible," the bench also comprising Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer said. "We are not concerned about what Mughal ruler Babur had done and what happened after. We can go into what exists in the present moment," the bench said. The apex court is considering whether the dispute can be settled through mediation.

The top court had asked the contesting parties to explore the possibility of amicably settling the decades-old dispute through mediation, saying it may help in "healing relations". Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.