SC to hear Gyanvapi case today, restrains local court
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained the Varanasi civil court from hearing the Gyanvapi mosque survey case for the time being, as it deferred its own hearing of a case on the legality of the survey to Friday on a request made by the lawyer for Hindu petitioners.
A bench, led by justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, recorded the undertaking of advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who represented the five Hindu women petitioners, and issued a directive to the Varanasi civil judge.
“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,” ordered the bench, which also comprised justices Surya Kant and PS Narasimha. The court order came after Jain requested the court to adjourn the hearing by a day since the arguing counsel on behalf of the Hindu petitioners could not show up due to a medical condition. Jain added that the petitioners shall not press for a hearing before the Varanasi civil court on Thursday where a report on the survey of the Gyanvapi mosque was expected to be submitted by the advocate commissioner.
Besides, senior advocate
Huzefa Ahmadi, who appeared for the mosque committee, claimed that the Hindu petitioners also moved a fresh plea on Thursday for demolishing a wall around a site where they claimed a “Shivling” was found.
Ahmadi, who represented the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, pressed for a stay of the proceedings before the Varanasi civil judge if the SC were to adjourn the hearing. “There are applications filed even for sealing of other mosques. I would only submit that there should not be any further delay...My only apprehension is that today an application
has been moved before the trial court to demolish the wall near the wazukhaana (ablution tank where the Shivling has been purportedly sighted),” he argued.
At this point, Jain assured the bench that the Hindu petitioners will not proceed with the case before the Varanasi court until the SC hears the matter on Friday. Taking on record the consensus between the two sides, the SC directed that the Varanasi civil court will hold its hands for a day and fixed the case for a hearing on Friday at 3 pm.
Later in the day, the Hindu petitioners filed an affidavit in response to the mosque committee’s petition in the SC.