CJI Bobde needed Shah Rukh Khan to mediate in Ayodhya row, says lawyer

Outgoing Chief Justice of India S A Bobde had thought-about actor Shah Rukh Khan for mediation within the Ayodhya Ramjanmabhoomi dispute, senior advocate Vikas Singh revealed on the digital farewell hosted by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for the CJI on Friday.
Calling Justice Bobde’s efforts to resolve the dispute via mediation “noteworthy”, Singh, the SCBA president, stated, “While on the Ayodhya dispute, I must give out a secret between me and Justice Bobde. While he was in the initial statement of the hearing, he asked me if Shah Rukh Khan can be a part of the committee. Since Justice Bobde was aware that I knew Shah Rukh, he asked me if I can speak to him.”
Singh stated Khan had agreed. “Khan even said the foundation stone of the mandir be laid by Muslims, and the foundation of the masjid be laid by Hindus. But the mediation process failed and so the plan was dropped. But his (CJI Bobde’s) willingness to resolve communal tension through mediation was noteworthy.”
The mediation panel had been arrange in March 2019 by a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by then CJI Ranjan Gogoi, comprising former Supreme Court decide Justice F M I Kalifulla, Art of Living Foundation’s Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and senior advocate Sriram Panchu.

Singh stated that within the preliminary phases of Ayodhya listening to, Justice Bobde firmly believed that the issue might be resolved via mediation. As that course of failed, a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Justice Bobde determined the case and cleared the way in which for building of a temple on the disputed website.
Terming his final day in workplace as one evoking blended emotions, CJI Bobde stated the pandemic had augmented inequality in society. “I don’t want to dwell upon it but the access to technology is now determining access to justice,” he stated, commenting on the restricted functioning of the judiciary attributable to Covid-19 that overshadowed his 17-month tenure as CJI.
While Justice Bobde as CJI headed Benches that delivered over 90 judgments, a few of his most consequential rulings got here in his final week. From setting standards on appointing ad-hoc judges to coping with pendency of instances in excessive courts, fixing timelines for the Central authorities on appointing judges, and issuing tips to decrease judiciary for coping with legal trials and for expeditious trial of cheque bounce instances — he penned 4 verdicts in his final week. All 4 have been instances which the CJI had taken up suo motu.
In a controversial choice final yr, a Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra had convicted advocate Prashant Bhushan for contempt of courtroom for commenting on photos of CJI Bobde mounted on a Harley Davidson bike in his hometown in the course of the pandemic.
The Supreme Court below him was accused of taking a largely restrained stand on the federal government over essential points concerning the pandemic at the same time as excessive courts throughout the nation raised sharp questions. During the Covid lockdown of final yr, the Court had initially refused to entertain PILs on migrant misery, taking suo motu cognizance solely later, after excessive courts started passing orders.

On Thursday, a day earlier than his retirement, in an analogous transfer, a Bench led by CJI Bobde determined to take up suo motu numerous points associated to the Covid second wave, noting that top courts taking these up have been resulting in “confusion” and “diversion of resources”.
He appeared to consult with the criticism directed at him, in his farewell handle. “I do not wish to criticise anybody but the attitude and mutual respect necessary for judiciary’s functioning is lacking sometimes. There is no need to become a mutual admiration society but nonetheless we must work in a way that is nourishing and that fulfils the purpose of the system,” he stated.