LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday adjourned two petitions seeking directions to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake further surveys at the Gyanvapi mosque premises.
This follows the Supreme Court of India's interim order dated 12 December restraining all courts from passing any final order or directive for the survey of mosques.
The single-judge bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal directed that the matters be listed for further hearing on 24 February 2025, a week after the apex court is scheduled to hear a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Places of Worship Act, 1991.
The Act prohibits the conversion of the religious character of places of worship from their status as of 15 August 1947.
The first petition was filed by Rakhi Singh, urging the court to direct the ASI to survey the 'Wuzukhana' (ablution pond) area on the mosque premises. The area around the Wuzukhana remains sealed following the Supreme Court's order, issued after a purported Shivling-like structure was found during a Varanasi court-ordered survey in May 2023.
The second petition, with a similar plea, was filed on behalf of Lord Adi Vishweshwar, represented by his next friend, Advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi. Rastogi claimed in his plea that the 'Swayambhu Jyotirling' lies beneath the main dome of the Gyanvapi mosque.
Both petitions challenged the Varanasi court's October 2023 order, which refused to direct the ASI to conduct a survey of the entire premises of the Gyanvapi mosque.
Justice Agarwal stated that further proceedings in these matters would remain contingent upon the Supreme Court's upcoming decision.