The Supreme Court on Thursday fixed the next hearing in the Babri Masji-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute for March 14, and clarified that it never intended to hear the case on a "day-to-day basis".
The bench, also comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer, said it will deal with the instant matter as a "pure land dispute" and indicated that impleadment applications of those which were not before the High Court would be dealt with later.
The top court said the excerpts of vernacular books, which have been relied upon in the case, be translated in English and be filed within two weeks from today.
The apex court also directed its Registry to provide copies of video cassettes, which were part of high court records, to parties on actual cost.
The special bench of the apex court is seized of a total 14 appeals filed against the high court judgement delivered in four civil suits.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices Ashok Bhushan and SA Najeeb, hearing the case to determine ownership of the 2.77-acre disputed land, also rejected the petition filed by Shyam Benegal and others for building a hospital at the disputed site.
It also clarified that no new party will be added to the case.
A three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had in 2010 ordered that the land be partitioned equally among three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Lord Ram deity.
The court had in December last year decided to hear the civil appeals against the 2010 Allahabad high court verdict in the matter in February.
It had rejected an attempt by the Sunni Waqf Board and members of the minority community to postpone hearing in the case till July 2019.
