[Gyanvapi Row] Court Rejects Hindu Side Plea For Fresh ASI Survey

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The Fast Track Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division), Varanasi, presided over by Yugul Shambhu, rejected the request.

[Gyanvapi Case] Court Rejects Hindu Side Plea For Fresh ASI Survey

Uttar Pradesh: Varanasi court dismissed the Hindu side’s plea on Friday(25th Oct), seeking an additional survey of the Gyanvapi complex by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The Fast Track Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division), Varanasi, presided over by Yugul Shambhu, rejected the request.

Advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi, who had filed the plea, stated that he would review the court’s order before deciding whether to challenge it in the Allahabad High Court or the district court.

BRIEF FACTS

In February, Rastogi had submitted a petition to the fast-track court, requesting a comprehensive survey of the entire Gyanvapi complex by the ASI.

Rastogi, acting as the next friend of Lord Vishweshwar in the case Ancient Idol Swayambhu Lord Vishweshwar and Others Vs. Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, explained, “We sought an order for the ASI to conduct a detailed survey of the entire Gyanvapi complex.”

His petition requested the ASI Director General to conduct the survey using archaeological methods, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Geo-Radiology Systems, and excavation. The application emphasized that all sections of the structure such as the central dome, cellars, gates, and chambers be surveyed without causing any damage to the existing architecture.

Rastogi noted that the Gyanvapi compound, located on settlement plot number 9130, is connected to two adjoining plots 9131 and 9132 which are associated with Lord Adi Vishweshwar.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, which manages the Gyanvapi Mosque, opposed the plea. Earlier, the ASI had conducted a scientific survey of the site, situated adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, based on a July 21, 2023 order from the district judge of Varanasi. The purpose of the survey was to investigate whether the mosque was built over the remnants of a pre-existing Hindu temple.

The ASI submitted its findings in a sealed report to the district court on December 18. Copies of the report were provided to both parties. The survey examined architectural elements, uncovered features, artefacts, inscriptions, and sculptures.

The survey had been initiated following claims by Hindu petitioners that the 17th-century mosque was constructed atop an earlier temple.

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