Plea Moved In Allahabad HC Against Varanasi Court's Order Refusing To Direct ASI To Survey Gyanvapi Mosque's Wuzukhana Area

A Civil Revision plea has been moved before the Allahabad High Court challenging the Varanasi District Judge’s October 21 order refusing to direct the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake a survey of the Wazukhana area (except for the 'Shiva Linga') inside the Gyanvapi Mosque. The revision plea has been moved by Rakhi Singh (through Advocates Saurabh Tiwari), who is the plaintiff no. 1 in the Shringar Gauri Worshipping suit 2022 (presently pending before the Varanasi Court). In her application before the Varanasi Court, rejected on October 21, the primary contention raised was that the survey of the Wuzukhana (excluding the 'Shivalingam') is necessary to ascertain the religious character of the property in question (Gyanwapi precincts). Rejecting her application, District Judge Ajay Krishna Vishwesha had observed in his order that the Supreme Court, vide its order dated May 17, 2022, ordered to duly protect the area where the ‘Shiva linga’ is stated to have been found and therefore, it is not proper to direct the ASI to survey the area as it would violate the Supreme Court’s order. The District Judge also noted that the particular area was also excluded from the ambit of the ASI survey ordered by his court vide an order dated July 21, 2023, passed in the 2022 suit. In her revision plea, she has stressed that the survey of the Wuzukhana area is necessary in the interest of justice and it shall benefit the plaintiff(s) and defendants alike and come in aid of the court to arrive at a just decision in the 2022 suit.It has also been contended that the District Judge, in his October 21 order, failed to exercise the jurisdiction vested in it by law to direct for the survey of the wuzukhana area. It has further been argued that in his order, the Court of District Judge erred in stating that in its July 21, 2023 order (for the Survey of Gyanvapi premises) it had deliberately excluded the duly protected area from the ambit of the survey, as in the application on which the said order was passed, there was no prayer seeking survey of the protected area. It may be noted that the ASI has been conducting a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi as per the July 21 order of the Varanasi District Judge to determine if the mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple. On November 2, the Varanasi District Court directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to submit its report about the Gyanvapi Mosque Survey in the Court by November 17.

Plea Moved In Allahabad HC Against Varanasi Court's Order Refusing To Direct ASI To Survey Gyanvapi Mosque's Wuzukhana Area

Sparsh Upadhyay

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