Gyanvapi survey report to be made public? BIG court decision today

Varanasi: A Varanasi court is likely to give a ruling today on making the sealed Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex public, and providing copies of it to both: the Hindu and Muslim sides.

The court of District Judge AK Vishvesh on Friday reportedly said since the order on the issue has not been typed out yet, it will be given on Saturday, news agency PTI quoted the lawyer for the Hindu side, Madan Mohan Yadav, as saying.

The counsels of both Hindu and Muslim sides as well as that of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) were present in court.

On January 3, the ASI had urged the court not to make its report public for at least four more weeks.

The judge could not take up the matter on Thursday as he was busy at an event, his office had reportedly said, adding that the matter was then posted for Friday.

Following a July 21 order of the district court, the ASI carried out a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises, located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, to determine whether the mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.

The survey was ordered by the court after the petitioners claimed the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing temple.

Earlier during this week, Yadav mentioned that the ASI had requested the court for four more weeks before the sealed survey report was opened. 

The ASI had, on December 18 last year, submitted its survey report to the district court in a sealed cover.

The ASI referred to a recent judgment of the Allahabad High Court while urging the court to delay the opening of the report, Yadav told PTI.

On 19 December 2023, the Allahabad High Court had dismissed several pleas from the Muslim side, challenging the maintainability of a suit seeking restoration of a temple where the Gyanvapi mosque now stands in Varanasi.

"The trial in this case of vital national importance should be concluded as soon as possible, preferably within six months. If required, the lower court may direct the ASI for a further survey," the high court had observed.