Hearing on ASI Survey Demand in Gyanvapi Case at Allahabad High Court

Significant Hearing on Gyanvapi Mosque Case

Today, the Allahabad High Court is set to hear a crucial case regarding the demand for an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) investigation into the Gyanvapi mosque's wazu khana. The hearing will focus on a petition filed by Rakhi Singh, representing the Hindu side, which calls for a scientific survey. This request is being contested by the mosque's management committee.

The presentation argues that the district judge erred by claiming that he intentionally excluded legally protected areas from the survey's scope, despite no such request being made in the application. Advocates Saurabh Tiwari and Amitabh Trivedi emphasized the importance of conducting an ASI survey of the wazu khana area to ascertain the religious nature of the entire property.

They contended that the survey of the area, referred to by Hindus as 'Shivling', could be performed using non-invasive techniques as directed by the Supreme Court.

Court's Directive on Response Time

Justice Rohit Ranjan Agrawal of the Allahabad High Court granted the Gyanvapi mosque's management committee one month to file a counter-affidavit in response to a civil revision petition challenging the order issued by the Varanasi district judge on October 21, 2023. The ASI had conducted a survey following the district judge's order from July 21, 2023, to determine whether the mosque was built on the remnants of a pre-existing Hindu temple.