Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex survey row: SC to hear petition on Tuesday

Tribune News Service

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, May 16

The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday (May 17) a petition seeking to halt the survey and videography of Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex in Varanasi.

The petition filed by ‘Committee of Management of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid’ challenging the Allahabad High Court’s order permitting a local court-appointed commissioner to inspect, conduct survey and video-graph the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex will come up before a Bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha.

Petitioner ‘Committee of Management of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid’ has moved the top court challenging the Allahabad High Court’s order permitting a local court-appointed commissioner to inspect, conduct survey and video-graph the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex which has been a bone of contention between Hindus and Muslims over right to worship at the place.

After a court-mandated videograhpy of Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex discovered a ‘Shivling’ inside its premises, Varanasi Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar on Monday ordered the place to be sealed. The court ordered the Varanasi District Magistrate to seal the area where the Shivling was found to ensure that no one entered the premises. It ordered the District Magistrate, the Police Commissioner and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to ensure that the sealed area remained safe and secure.

The civil court’s order came on a suit filed by Hindus who claimed the mosque housed Hindu deities and that they should be allowed to perform puja at the site. Acting on a plea by a group of women seeking permission for daily worship of Hindu deities located on an outer wall of the mosque, Civil Judge Diwakar had ordered a survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex.

The Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex, Varanasi has been a bone of contention between Hindus and Muslims over right to worship at the place. The controversy surrounding the survey of the complex had on Friday reached the Supreme Court which had refused to pass any orders to stop it.

On behalf of the ‘Committee of Management of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid’, senior counsel Huzefa Ahmadi had on Friday mentioned the matter for urgent hearing.

“I have no idea about this case. Let me look at the papers…we will list it,” a Bench led by CJI NV Ramana had told Ahmadi, refusing to stop the survey immediately.

After Ahmadi pointed out that the mosque was covered under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, the CJI had said, "We will list it."

Section 4 of the Act bars filing of any suit or initiating any other legal proceeding for a conversion of the religious character of any place of worship, as existing on August 15, 1947.

The Varanasi court had on Thursday rejected the demand for the removal of advocate commissioner for conducting a video survey of the complex and ordered that it should be done between 8 am and 12 pm daily till its completion.

It had asked the commissioner to submit the survey report by May 17. He had also appointed two more advocate commissioners, Ajay Singh and Vishal Singh, in addition to Ajay Kumar Mishra, who was accused of being biased by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee. Muslim petitioners had sought the removal of Mishra on the grounds that he was doing the video survey of areas not specified in the order.

About The Author

Tribune News Service

The Tribune News Service brings you the latest news, analysis and insights from the region, India and around the world. Follow the Tribune News Service for a wide-ranging coverage of events as they unfold, with perspective and clarity.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.