Granvapi Masjid case: Court to pronounce order on scientific survey request today

Varanasi: A Varanasi court will pronounce its order today on a petition filed by a Hindu side seeking directions for a “scientific survey” of the entire Gyanvapi mosque complex by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The court had completed the debate on a petition last Friday (July 14). The petition was filed in May this year by five women, who had earlier in another petition sought permission to offer prayers at the “Shringar Gauri Sthal” inside the temple premises. A structure was found in the mosque complex – claimed to be a “Shivling” on one side and a “fountain” on the other.

Hindu side’s lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain had earlier said on July 14, “We presented our point of view before the court… Hon’ble Supreme Court ruled in our favor on May 21… We presented our point of view before the district court Demanding site investigation by ASI… We should wait for the court’s order.”

Earlier on July 6, the Hindu petitioners in the Gyanvapi case urged the Supreme Court to hear at the earliest a petition challenging the Allahabad High Court’s order allowing the Archaeological Survey of India to hand over carbon dating of the “Shivling” It was instructed to conduct a “scientific survey”. It is said to have been found in the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi during a videographic survey last year.

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The petitioners wrote a letter to the Registrar of the Supreme Court stating that the matter was listed before the apex court on May 19, 2023, when it deferred the implementation of the directions till July 6, 2023.

The Supreme Court had earlier stayed the carbon dating of the “Shivling”, saying that the implementation of the directions contained in the Allahabad High Court order would remain suspended till the next date of hearing.

Allahabad High Court allowed scientific survey of “Shivling” in the premises of Gyanvapi campus under the supervision and direction of District Judge, Varanasi.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and KV Vishwanathan adjourned the “scientific survey” saying, “Since the implications of the impugned order deserve close scrutiny, the implementation of the relevant directions in the order will be next stand adjourned till that date.”

The bench had also issued notice to the Center and the Uttar Pradesh government on an appeal by the Gyanvapi Masjid Management Committee against the High Court order for a scientific investigation by the ASI to determine the age of the “Shivling”.
Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for Gyanvapi Masjid Management Committee, told the bench that carbon dating and survey would begin soon.

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state of Uttar Pradesh, had said that no damage should be done to the structure, which one side claims is a “Shivling” and the other calls it a fountain. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for the Hindu petitioners in the case, said that ASI experts have already told that no damage will be done to the structure.

During the survey, on May 16 last year, during a court-ordered survey of the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, a structure was found in the mosque premises – which the Hindu side claimed to be a “Shivling” and the Muslim side a “fountain”. did.

The High Court on May 12 set aside the order of the Varanasi District Judge, who had rejected the application for scientific survey and carbon dating of the “Shivling” on October 14, 2022.

The High Court had directed the Varanasi District Judge to proceed in accordance with law on the application of Hindu worshipers to conduct a scientific examination of the “Shivling”.

The petitioner Lakshmi Devi and three others had filed a petition in the High Court challenging the lower court’s order.