LUCKNOW: In a major decision, Varanasi District Court Judge Dr Ajay Krishna Vishvesha on Monday accepted the plea of four Hindu women plaintiffs in suit no. 18/2022 (Rakhi Singh vs state of UP and others) seeking transfer of seven cases related to the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri issue from various courts to his court. As per district government counsel (civil) Mahendra Prasad Pandey, the district judge ordered to transfer seven cases related to Gyanvapi mosque issue to his court by accepting the plea of plaintiffs 2 to 5 (Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas and Rekha Pathak) where they had sought regular worship of Maa Shringar Gauri and other deities on the Gyanvapi mosque premises.
In his order, district judge Dr Ajay Krishna Vishvesha also mentioned that after the transfer of the seven Gyanvapi related cases pending in different civil courts to his court, the issue of their consolidation would be examined to ascertain whether it would be relevant or not. The next date for hearing in the case was posted on April 21.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain representing four women plaintiffs had moved an application on December 5, 2022 for transfer of seven cases including the one filed by Bhagwan Aadi Vishweshwar Viraajman through next friend Kiran Singh and others pending with civil judge (senior division) Fast Track Court and other six cases to the district judge court.
Jain, in his application, had mentioned that those six cases pending in the court of civil judge (senior division) and the one in fast-track court of the civil judge (senior division) were of similar nature, hence if they were tried together, it would save both the public time and money along with avoiding other legal challenges.
However, Shivam Gaur, the advocate of plaintiff-1 Rakhi Singh and Anjuman Intejamia Masajid (AIM) — the Gyanvapi mosque management committee — had strongly opposed the application to club all the petitions in their arguments which were completed on February 22 when the court had reserved its order. However, when contacted, Gaur said that he was satisfied with the order of the court as it had ordered for only their transfer from other courts to his court so far and not for consolidating them.