Gyanvapi Mosque row: SC, Varanasi court to resume hearings on Thursday | Key points

The Supreme Court and a local court in Varanasi will resume hearings in the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi case on Thursday.  The case is based on a petition seeking permission for Hindus to worship on the Gyanvapi Mosque premises, which was a part of the Kashi Vishwanath temple that was demolished in the 16th century.

On Wednesday, the hearing in the case could not take place in the Varanasi court as lawyers in the district were on a strike in protest against the remarks of a government official.

Hearing in Supreme Court:

> On Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued notices to the petitioner Hindu devotees and posted the plea of the committee of management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, which manages the affairs of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, for a hearing on May 19.

> It also directed the district magistrate of Varanasi to ensure the protection of the area inside the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex where 'Shivling' is said to be found in the survey there.

> A bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and PS Narasimha, while hearing the plea of the committee ordered that Muslims can continue offering 'namaz' there without any impediment.

> The top court, however, refused to stay the further proceedings before the civil judge, Varanasi who is hearing the lawsuit related to the Gyanvapi mosque.

Hearing in Varanasi court:

> On Tuesday, the Varanasi civil court removed the advocate-commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra from the panel formed to survey the mosque as he was not cooperating.

> The court-appointed special commission has also received two-more days to submit the survey report. The commission had sought a two-day time to submit the survey report.

> On Thursday, the court will hear a petition seeking permission to offer prayers where the ‘shivling’ was reportedly found on the premises. The same plea has also demanded the demolition of the walls of the basement and the removal of debris to enable the collection of more evidence.

> The court also hear another plea seeking directions for shifting pipelines, through which water is supplied for namazis to perform ‘wuzu’, from the sealed area in the mosque.

The survey

The survey lasted for three days from May 14-16. The three-day-long court-monitored videography survey of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi concluded on Monday.

The Hindu petitioner in the case, Sohan Lal Arya on Monday claimed that the committee found a Shivling at the complex. Arya, who accompanied the court commission for the mosque survey, said that they have found "conclusive evidence".

Meanwhile, the president of the Hindu Sena, Vishnu Gupta on Tuesday filed an intervention application seeking directions for dismissal of the petition filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Management Committee challenging the videography survey of the complex.

(With inputs from agencies)