The Allahabad High Court, in a session on Tuesday, postponed making a decision regarding a plea that contests a Varanasi court’s refusal to order a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque’s ‘wazukhana’ (ablution area). The court has asked plaintiff Rakhi Singh, who is also involved in the Shringar Gauri worship suit, to provide an affidavit concerning a document previously submitted by another plaintiff.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, presiding over the civil revision, set the next hearing for October 1. The revision challenges a decision made on October 21, 2023, by the Varanasi district judge, which declined a directive for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the wazukhana area. This area does not include the structure referred to as a ‘shivling’ by Hindu petitioners inside the mosque complex.
In her plea, Singh argued that a detailed survey of the wazukhana is crucial for achieving a fair judicial outcome for both plaintiffs and defendants. Her legal team, led by attorneys Saurabh Tiwari and Amitabh Trivedi, insisted that understanding the religious nature of the entire property hinges on this survey. They also pointed out that the survey could be conducted using non-invasive methods, as previously outlined by the Supreme Court.
This case has drawn significant attention due to its potential implications on the religious understanding of the Gyanvapi mosque site. The ASI has already conducted a scientific survey of the mosque complex under a separate order from the Varanasi district judge issued on July 21, 2023, which aimed to investigate whether the mosque was built over a Hindu temple.
