LUCKNOW: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was on Thursday asked by the Varanasi Fast Track Court (FTC) of the civil judge (senior division) to submit the report of the scientific survey it conducted on the premises of the Gyanvapi mosque to it by January 19. The ASI was also asked to provide a copy to the plaintiff in suit no. 610/1991 Swayambhu Lord Vishweshwar vs Anjuman Intezamia Masjid (Gyanvapi mosque management committee) and others.
The ASI had conducted the scientific survey of the mosque premises in compliance with the Varanasi district court order of July 21, 2023. The agency, after completing the survey to ascertain if the mosque was standing on a pre-existing Hindu temple, had submitted the final survey report before the Varanasi district court in suit no. 18/2022 Rakhi Singh and others vs UP state and others on December 18, last year.
Veteran lawyer Vijay Shankar Rastogi, who is contesting the title suit no. 610/2991 as ‘next friend’ of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar, said: “The Allahabad High Court, on December 19, 2023 had asked the ASI to conduct a survey of the entire Gyanvapi mosque, which exists on three plots including 1930, 1931 and 1932. In suit no. 18/2022, the ASI had covered the areas only on plot no. 1930. In compliance with the HC order, the ASI has to submit its already completed survey report while it will have to carry out a survey on plots no. 1931 and 1932 as well as wuzukhana (ablution pond) and area beneath the portion of the central dome of the mosque.”
Rastogi said that to get compliance with the High Court order, he had moved an application before the Fast Track Court of the civil judge (senior division) on Thursday.
Standing government counsel (government of India) Amit Srivastava said that the ASI had to submit the survey report in compliance with the court order on or before January 19.
Meanwhile, the ASI had moved an application in the court of the Varanasi district judge Dr AK Vishvesha on Wednesday, urging him to put the opening and distribution of the survey report on hold for at least four weeks till it prepares another copy of the same report to be submitted in the Varanasi Fast Track Court.