Gyanvapi case: Court defers judgment to November 17

A fast-track court in Varanasi on Monday postponed till November 17 its judgment on a plea seeking permission to allow the worship of a Shivling claimed to have been found inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex during a survey. Civil Judge (senior division) Mahendra Pandey postponed the judgment till November 17, assistant district government counsel Sulabh Prakash said. After hearing the arguments of both the sides to the dispute, the court had on October 27 reserved its order on the suit for November 8. As the judge was on leave on November 8, the matter was posted for Monday. Other demands of the Hindu side on which the court is awaited to deliver its verdict include handing over of the entire mosque complex to Hindus, and banning the entry of Muslims inside the premises of the Gyanvapi complex. On November 11, the Supreme Court extended its earlier order to protect the area where the ‘Shivling’ was claimed to be discovered.