May 6-7 survey report submitted
VARANASI : Advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra, who was removed from his post by a local court on Tuesday, on Wednesday presented a report of the court commission proceedings conducted by him in the Gyanvapi complex on May 6 and 7, said a well-placed source.
The report has been taken on record by the court. Thus, a part of the court commission’s proceedings has been submitted in court.
The report of the proceedings of the remaining three days (May 14, 15 and 16) is to be submitted by the special court commissioner Vishal Singh.
The report is likely to be submitted on May 19.
Earlier, a petition was filed in a Varanasi court urging it to direct Mishra to submit a report about the commission’s May 6-7 proceedings in the Gyanvapi complex . The court on Wednesday listed the application for hearing on May 19 (Thursday).
The court on Tuesday had removed advocate commissioner Mishra for displaying “irresponsible behaviour towards the discharge of his duties” following the allegation that a cameraman hired by him leaked information about the survey proceedings to the media.
The court had also granted two more days to the special advocate commissioner Vishal Singh to file the survey report.
Sudhir Tripathi, one of the advocates of the petitioners, filed the application in the court of civil Judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar on Wednesday.
Tripathi said that advocate commissioner Mishra with his team conducted the survey proceedings in the Gyanvapi complex in the presence of all the parties on May 6. On May 7, when Mishra with his team reached the Gyanvapi complex for survey proceedings, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee objected to the proceedings.
The committee filed a petition in the court on May 7, seeking Mishra’s removal as the advocate commissioner, alleging that he was biased.
On May 12, the court decided not to remove Mishra and appointed senior advocate Vishal Singh as special advocate commissioner and Ajai Pratap Singh as assistant advocate commissioner. It ordered them to complete the proceedings Gyanvapi mosque proceedings and present a report in court on May 17. The advocate commissioners completed the survey on May 16.
On May 17, special advocate commissioner Vishal Singh filed an application in the court of civil judge (senior division) and informed the court that Mishra had “deployed a personal cameraman (RP Singh) who was giving wrong byte in the media on a regular basis.”
In his application, Vishal Singh also alleged that Ajay Kumar Mishra and assistant advocate commissioner Ajai Pratap Singh were not taking interest in the work of the commission and not cooperating fully. Mishra and assistant advocate commissioner Ajai Pratap Singh appeared before the court and stated that they were cooperating fully.
The cameraman was removed from the proceedings of the survey. Mishra confirmed this fact.
In its order, the court said when any advocate is appointed as an advocate commissioner his position is that of a public servant and it is expected of him that he will discharge his duties with honesty and impartiality, and will not issue any irresponsible statement.
“Advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra showed irresponsible behaviour towards the discharge of his duties,” it said.
“The private cameraman deployed by Ajay Kumar Mishra gave bytes to the media regularly, which is against judicial dignity. Hence, advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra is removed with immediate effect,” it said, adding all the work of the commission after May 12 will be submitted by Vishal Singh and assistant advocate commissioner Ajai Pratap Singh will work under his direction.
The survey included videography and inspection of the Gyanvapi complex premises on the directions of the local court that is hearing a plea for daily worship of the Shringar Gauri Sthal in the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex.
On August 18, 2021, five women, including Rakhi Singh, Manju Vyas, Sita Sahu, Laxmi Devi and Rekha Pathak, had filed a petition in the court seeking permission for daily worship at Shringar Gauri Sthal.
The private cameraman deployed by Ajay Kumar Mishra gave bytes to the media regularly, which is against judicial dignity. Hence, advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra is removed with immediate effect THE COURT ORDERED