New Delhi/IBNS: The five judges of the Supreme Court, who delivered the historic verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case on Nov 9, 2019, have been invited to the Ayodhya Ram Mandir consecration ceremony on Jan 22 as state guests.

A bench comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice SA Bobde, Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Ashok Bhushan, and Justice S Abdul Nazeer pronounced the historic judgement after the court battle of almost 70 years.

While four judges among the five have retired and are heading various posts, Justice DY Chandrachud is presently the Chief Justice of India.

When the judgement was pronounced, the bench was headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who retired just one week after pronouncing the verdict on Nov 17, 2019.

Justice Bobde was appointed the 47th Chief Justice of India on Nov 18, 2019, succeeding Ranjan Gogoi. His tenure was 1 year and 5 months.

Justice DY Chandrachud was sworn in as the Chief Justice of India on Nov 9, 2022, exactly three years after he pronounced the Ayodhya judgement.

Justice Ashok Bhushan as a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court of India, on July 27, 2020, was appointed as Chairman of the Ravi Bias River Tribunal. He retired as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on July 4, 2021.

After retirement, he joined as the Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Nov 8, 2021.

Justice Nazeer retired on Jan 4, 2023 and is presently the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. He is an authority on the Bharatiya Legal System.

The five-judge bench of the apex court had granted the entire disputed land in Ayodhya to the deity Ram Lalla. The bench had also directed the government to allot an alternative five-acre plot to the Muslim side to build a mosque.

The construction of the Ram Mandir is considered the resolution of a legal dispute that spanned seven decades.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will install the Ram Lalla idol at the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple at noon on Jan 22, with Prime Minister Modi, and in the presence of hundreds of Hindu seers.

The landmark event will be attended by 10,000 special guests including 100 international dignitaries.

[With UNI inputs]