In a significant development, a Varanasi court has issued an order mandating the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to surrender all historically significant items related to the Hindu religion, discovered during the ongoing survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, to the District Magistrate. This directive comes ahead of an upcoming hearing in the Allahabad High Court that questions the validity of a lawsuit seeking to "restore" a temple located within the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi.
"On all the applications filed for the purpose of historical evidence or any other evidence that is found during the commission proceedings or ASI survey, the Varanasi district court has directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to prepare a list and preserve all objects, having historical significance found during the Scientific Survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises. The court has also ordered to present a copy of the list before the Court and the District Magistrate," Advocate Anupam Dwivedi, representing the Hindu side, told news agency ANI.
Furthermore, the court is set to address another petition challenging a 2021 directive from a Varanasi court that instructed the ASI to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, led by a commission comprising a lawyer.
The ASI's ongoing scientific survey aims to determine whether the 17th-century Gyanvapi mosque was constructed atop a pre-existing Hindu temple structure, with the site situated adjacent to the revered Kashi Vishwanath temple.
This survey was initiated following a ruling by the Allahabad High Court, which upheld a directive from a Varanasi district court. The High Court emphasised that this survey is deemed "essential in the pursuit of justice" and could potentially benefit both the Hindu and Muslim communities involved.
It is noteworthy that on September 8, the Varanasi court had granted the ASI an additional four weeks to conclude the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex and present its findings.
Also read | Gyanvapi case: Court grants 8 more weeks to ASI to complete scientific survey of complex
Also read | Gyanvapi case: ASI survey of mosque complex continues on day 7 amid tight security
