The Supreme Court on Friday extended the time framefor completing the criminal trial in Ayodhya case by six months while setting anine-month deadline for the final order in the case to be delivered.

The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice RF Narimanwhile allowing the special CBI judge to complete the trial within six monthsfrom the day of the order said that the judgment should be ready and deliveredmaximum within a period of nine months from today.

The top court's order on Friday came on a special judge's plea to extend the deadline to conclude the criminal trial in the case.

According to the court, the oral arguments must bekept to the bare minimum and should be supplemented by written arguments whichthe court ordered should be prepared well in advance. The court also made itclear that all the evidence must be collated with the cooperation ofprosecution and defence witnesses.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also been directed by the court to extend the tenure of the special judge who is scheduled to retire on September 30 for the purpose of the trial only.