Gyanvapi Mosque survey row reaches Supreme Court; CJI avers, "Will read papers & see"

Gyanvapi Mosque survey row reaches Supreme Court; CJI avers, "Will read papers & see"

Gyanvapi Mosque survey row reaches Supreme Court; CJI avers, "Will read papers & see"

New Delhi : The controversy surrounding the survey of Gyanvaapi Mosque in Varanasi on the orders of a local court reached the Supreme Court on Friday with an urgent petition seeking a stay on it.

Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi mentioned the petition against a Varanasi court's order allowing an advocate commissioner to survey the Gyanvapi mosque.

“Please grant status quo,” Ahmadi told a Bench led by CJI NV Ramana.

“I have no idea about this case. Let me look at the papers, we will list it,” the CJI told Ahmadi refusing to stop the survey immediately.

"Please list this Milord. The survey is taking place today," Ahmadi said to the Bench.

"How can I list it like this?" the Bench said.

As Ahmadi pointed out that the mosque was covered under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, the CJI said, "We will list it."

A Varanasi court had on Thursday rejected the demand for the removal of advocate commissioner for conducting a video survey of the Gyanvapi mosque.

Civil Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar had asked the commissioner to submit the survey report by May 17.

He also appointed two more advocate commissioners, Ajay Singh and Vishal Singh, in addition to Ajay Kumar Mishra, who was accused of being biased by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee.

“Two more lawyers have been appointed as commissioners to accompany court commissioner Ajay Mishra for the survey.

Muslim petitioners had sought the removal of Mishra on the grounds that he was doing the video survey of areas not specified in the order.

Gyanvapi Masjid is located adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

Five women had filed a plea in the local court seeking permission to pray at Shringar Gauri, a Hindu shrine behind the Gyanvapi mosque.

The court-appointed commissioner on Friday-Saturday conducted videography and survey of some areas outside the Masjid in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex which could not be completed due to protests.