Gyanvapi mosque case: Varanasi court orders to conduct video survey again, sets May 17 as deadline

A Varanasi court on Thursday ordered that the video survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid be conducted again. The court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar said that the exercise should be wrapped up before May 17 and a report should be submitted before the said date.

The court rejected an appeal made by the Muslim side seeking the removal of court commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra. The court, however, appointed two more advocate commissioners — Vishal Singh and Ajay Singh, for the smooth completion of the process.

“Two more lawyers have been appointed as commissioners to accompany the Court commissioner Ajay Mishra for the survey. The Commission to submit report by May 17 before the court,” advocate Madan Mohan Yadav, representing Hindu petitioners in Varanasi court, told reporters.

The Gyanvapi Masjid is located adjacent to the famed Kashi Vishwanath temple. It shares a boundary wall with the temple which is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.

The court also expressed anguish over the non-cooperation from the district administration during the survey. The court said that had the administration extended support to the survey team, the exercise would have been completed on time.

The court said that the survey should be completed under the supervision of the Director-General of Police and Chief Secretary so that the district administration cannot prolong it.

Anjuman Intezamiya Masjid, the management committee of the mosque, had accused the advocate commissioner of being biased toward Hindus and demanded from the court to replace him. They alleged that he had tried to get videography done inside the Gyanvapi mosque without orders.

The survey team, as per the court’s order, will conduct a survey at the site between 8 am and noon daily until the whole exercise is completed. The order directed the district administration to file FIR against those creating hindrance during the survey.

Gyanvapi Masjid Case

Petitions were filed in a local court in Varanasi in August 2021 seeking permission for daily darshan and pooja at Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal. The court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) of Varanasi, Ravi Kumar Diwakar, had on April 26 this year ordered videography by the advocate commissioner of the temple in the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque complex and other places after Eid.

The court had appointed advocate Ajai Kumar to conduct a survey and inspection. The court had asked the advocate commissioner to submit a report before the next hearing on May 10.

According to the court’s directions, videography and survey were to be conducted inside the mosque premises on May 6 and 7. The court had said that besides the advocate commissioner and parties, one associate can remain present during the proceedings. When the survey team arrived at the mosque on May 6, the members had to face massive protests by the Muslims who opposed the court’s order. The survey was done amid tight security on the first day. However, the exercise was halted by the administration temporarily on the next day owing to protests.

According to Muslims, the advocate commissioner had tried to get videography done inside the Gyanvapi mosque without orders. The counsel for the mosque management committee had earlier contended that the court had not given any order to do the videography inside the mosque but to do it only till the ‘chabutra’ (courtyard) outside the barricades enclosing the mosque area.

Source : India TV