Allahabad High Court Sets September 18 for Gyanvapi Mosque Case Hearing
The Allahabad High Court has marked September 18 for further hearings on a petition that challenges the validity of a lawsuit pushing for the “restoration” of a temple at the site of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi. This decision was taken after neither the petitioner nor the defendant appeared for the case.
The court, under Chief Justice Pritinker Diwakar, allowed a virtual hearing due to an ongoing lawyers’ strike. The petition was initiated by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, the committee overseeing the Gyanvapi mosque, located adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
Chief Justice Diwakar is currently handling the suit, which was earlier under the purview of Justice Prakash Padia. During the prior hearing on August 28, the Chief Justice had acceded to the mosque committee’s plea, seeking time to revisit the case, and thus postponed the matter to September 12.
Moreover, the court will also consider a petition that opposes a 2021 directive from a Varanasi court. This directive had called for an assessment of the Gyanvapi mosque, to be overseen by an advocate-led commission.
During the August 28 session, a representative on behalf of the mosque committee pointed out that another single judge of the high court had extensively deliberated on the case, and a judgment had been reserved. They argued,
“Counsels of both sides had argued at length before the single-judge bench, therefore, proprietary demands that the judgment has to be delivered by that bench.”
However, Chief Justice Diwakar countered, stating that according to high court rules, if a judgment isn’t issued post-hearing, the case is deemed released. As the
“master of the roster,”
he has the discretion to either reassign the case or preside over it himself. He further clarified,
“since March 15, 2021, the judgment in the case was reserved on several occasions but the same was not delivered.”
