GYANVAPI CASE

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.

On May 24, plaintiff Kiran Singh, general secretary of the

Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh, filed the suit in the Varanasi district court, seeking a ban on the entry of Muslims into the Gyanvapi complex, handing over of the complex to the Sanatan Sangh and permission to offer prayers to the “Shivling”.

On April 26, a lower court (civil judge-senior division) that was earlier hearing a plea moved by a group of women seeking permission for the daily worship of the idols of the Hindu deities on the mosque’s outer walls had ordered a videographic survey of the Gyanvapi complex. The Hindu side had claimed that a “Shivling” was found inside the mosque complex during the exercise. However, the Muslim side has maintained that the structure was part of the fountain mechanism at the “wazookhana” reservoir, where devotees carry out ritual ablutions before offering “namaz”.

The district judge is hearing another plea that has demanded a survey of the closed underground places on the Gyanvapi premises. This case will be heard on November 11.