The survey of the Gyanvapi mosque located adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple will continue, a court in Varanasi said on Thursday.
The court also appointed two more advocate commissioners to join Advocate Ajay Kumar Mishra, according to reports. The Commission will submit the inspection report by May 17.
The Gyanvapi mosque management committee (Anjuman Intezamiya Masjid) had sought the removal of Mishra as the court commissioner for the survey. They had accused Mishra of acting in a biased manner, alleging that he had tried to get videography done inside the Gyanvapi mosque without orders.
On Wednesday, the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who had earlier heard the arguments of the Hindu and Muslim sides, further heard the matter relating to opening of the two basements located inside the barricading in the Gyanvapi complex for videography and replacement of the advocate commissioner. After hearing arguments, the court reserved its decision for Thursday.
The videography and survey of the mosque was ordered by Judge Diwakar on a plea by Delhi women Rakhi Singh, Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu and others seeking permission to perform daily worship of deities Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman and Nandi whose idols are located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque. The women had moved the court with their plea on April 18, 2021, and also sought a court's order to stop the opponents from causing any damage to the idols.
The counsel for the mosque management committee had earlier contended that the court had not given any order to do the videography inside the mosque but to do it only till the 'chabutra' (courtyard) outside the barricades enclosing the mosque area.
The court commissioner had on Friday conducted an inconclusive survey of some areas outside Gyanvapi Masjid in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex amid brief sloganeering by the two sides.
-with PTI inputs
