LUCKNOW: After hearing the Anjuman Intezamiya Masajid (AIM), the Gyanvapi management committee, which concluded its arguments on each of 51 points of the petition filed by a bunch of five Hindu women seeking daily darshan and worship of Shringar Gauri and other deities on Gyanvapi mosque premises, the Varanasi district court, on Monday, posted the matter for next hearing on July 12.
The AIM had challenged the maintainability of the petition filed by the Hindu women. The AIM advocates will appear before the court of district Judge Dr Ajay Krishna Vishwesha for legal submission on challenging the maintainability of this case on July 12.
AIM advocate Abhay Nath Yadav said that he had completed the arguments on behalf of AIM under Order VII rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code. “On the next hearing, we will appear before the court for legal submissions to challenge the maintainability of the petition seeking daily worship of Hindu deities on mosque premises. On July 12, we will table law and rulings to prove how this case is not maintainable,” Yadav said.
Two local plaintiffs including Laxmi Devi and Sita Sahu with their veteran advocate Harishankar Jain, Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh chief Jitendra Singh Visen, who is looking after the case on behalf of Delhi-based plaintiff Rakhi Singh, and a team of his lawyers remained present in the court during the hearing.
The district court had commenced the hearing in the case on May 24 in compliance with the Supreme Court order of May 20. The apex court had ordered to decide the maintainability of the petition filed by the Hindu side first. The apex court had issued the order while transferring the case from the court of civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar to the district judge court of Varanasi.
This case started with the filing of petition by women petitioners before the court of civil judge (senior division) on August 18, 2021. This court had set up a court commission to conduct videographic survey of Gyanvapi mosque between May 6 and 16. On the last day of the survey, Hindu parties claimed unearthing of a structure resembling the ‘shivling’ in the Wuzu Khana (ablution pond) of Gyanvapi mosque following which the pond was sealed on court order.