LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court, seized of the matter related to the scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque premises by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), extended the stay on the survey proceedings till Thursday.
While conducting the hearing on a plea of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM), the mosque management committee, the bench headed by Chief Justice Pritinker Diwekar, directed the ASI officials to be present in the court which will continue the hearing in the case at 3:30 pm on Thursday.
The AIM had moved Allahabad High Court, on Tuesday, to challenge the July 21 order of Varanasi District Judge Dr AK Vishvesha who had ordered the scientific survey of the mosque premises by the ASI. Earlier, on Monday, the AIM had petitioned the Supreme Court of India which had stayed the survey proceedings till July 26 evening asking the aggrieved party to approach the High Court to challenge the Varanasi District court order.
Meanwhile, on the second day of hearing in AIM's plea, the High Court bench expressed its strong doubts over the survey work to be conducted by the ASI on mosque premises. Chief Justice Pritinker Diwekar made the oral observation when the Additional Solicitor General, appearing for the ASI, failed to convince the bench over the methodology of the proposed survey.
Despite ASGI's efforts to assure the bench that there would not be any damage to the structure during the exercise in compliance of Varanasi district court order, the bench was not convinced.
The AIM lawyer submitted that the mosque committee feared damage to the structure and that it did not rely on the assurance of ASI. To this, the Chief Justice Diwekar rebuffed the AIM lawyer saying that if they did not trust anyone, then how would they trust the court’s decision.
The court also reacted strongly to the mosque committee’s contention that if the mosque got damaged during the survey, the lawyers representing the Hindu side would be held responsible.
Meanwhile, expressing his inability to understand the technicalities involved in the scientific survey, CJ Diwekar asked the ASGI to call an ASI official or expert from Varanasi by 4:30 pm on Wednesday with an affidavit explaining the structure and details of the proposed survey. This was followed by the submission of an affidavit by ASI's Additional Director Alok Tripathi stating that during the survey there would not be any damage to the structure of the mosque.
As the AIM lawyer sought time to study the ASI affidavit and respond to it, the High Court extended the stay on the survey and posted the matter for further hearing on Thursday at 3:30 pm.