The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Monday reserved its judgment in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title suit.
The verdict is likely to be announced in September.
After more than 60 years, the courtroom battle over the ownership and possession of the 16th-century structure is finally inching to a close after 60 years.
Mohammad Hashim, the oldest living plaintiff in the title suit case, told this correspondent on phone, “I am very happy that the decision will be pronounced in my lifetime. I have fought this battle for six decades and have invested all I had in it. I am confident that justice will prevail in the end,” he said.
The other plaintiffs including Baba Ramchandra Paramhans Das and Gopal Singh Visharad have already passed away. Interestingly, the case which progressed rather slowly, finally picked up speed in April 2002 after the high court ordered a day-to-day hearing. The bench has since recorded evidence from 55 witnesses from one side and 34 witnesses from the other.
Interestingly, 11 witnesses supporting the existence of mosque happen to Hindus. The list has the names of historians including Prof. Suraj Bhan, Prof. D. Mandal, Dr Sita Ram Rai, Prof. SC Shrivastava, Prof. RC Thakural, Dr Jaya Menon and Dr Ashok Dutta.