Varanasi court asked not to proceed in Gyanvapi mosque case till Friday
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the civil court in Varanasi to not proceed with hearing the Gyanvapi case till it takes up the matter on Friday.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and PS Narashima was informed by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain that lead counsel Hari Shankar Jain for the Hindu devotees in the civil suit is indisposed for Thursday, as he was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. “We accordingly direct the Trial Court to strictly act in terms of the above arrangement and to desist from taking up further proceedings in the suit in view of the consensus which has been arrived at between the parties,” the bench said in its order. The bench directed for the listing of the matter before it on May 20 at 3 pm and said that the Registry may seek the administrative directions of the Chief Justice of India so that the Bench may be constituted. At the outset, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain mentioned the matter and urged the court to take up the matter for a hearing on Friday.
Survey report filed:
The team that conducted a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque submitted its report to the Varanasi district court. The Varanasi court will now continue with its hearing on May 23, a counsel representing the Hindu petitioners said. The counsel for the mosque management committee said both sides filed their “objections and counter-objections” before the trial court on Thursday. Among the petitions now expected to be in heard is a petition, challenged by the mosque committee, seeking the removal of a wall between the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the adjacent Gyanvapi mosque.
A Varanasi court hearing the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri case on Thursday posted the matter to May 23 for the next hearing.
Both the parties filed their objections and counter-objections on Thursday. In view of the Supreme Court’s order to the lower court not to proceed with the matter till Friday, it fixed May 23 for the next hearing, Madan Mohan Yadav, the lawyer representing the Hindu side, said. Abhay Yadav, the lawyer appearing for the Muslim side, said the plaintiff had demanded the court-appointed team to carry on with its proceedings by demolishing certain walls, “to which we have objected”. “Also, a government counsel had demanded the removal of fish from a manmade pond located on the premises of the mosque. These fish are ours and we have raised our objection to this petition as well,” he said.
On Tuesday, Rekha Pathak, Manju Vyas and Sita Sahu had filed an application in the court, stating that there is a basement to the east of the spot where a “Shivling” was claimed to have been found. The basement has been sealed with brick, stone and cement, they said. They had also asked for orders to the court-appointed team to report the length, width and height of the “Shivling”, besides to open the door of the west wall, which is covered with debris inside the barricading, and to carry out its work there.
Meanwhile, a commission appointed by a court to conduct a survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque-Shringar Gauri complex filed its report on Thursday, submitting documents, videos and photographs. Special Advocate Commissioner Vishal Singh said he has submitted the report on the survey conducted on May 14, 15 and 16. “I do not have the right to tell what is in the survey report. Now the court will take further action on it,” he told the media outside the court.
Commissioner Vishal Singh said he has submitted the survey report conducted on May 14, 15, 16