The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday deferred judgment on a petition challenging a Varanasi court’s refusal to order a survey of the ‘wazukhana’ (bathing area) of the Gyanvapi mosque in one session. The court has asked plaintiff Rakhi Singh, who is also involved in the Shringar Gauri Puja suit, to file an affidavit regarding a document submitted earlier by another plaintiff.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, who is presiding over the civil revision, has scheduled the next hearing for October 1. The revision challenges the decision taken by the Varanasi district judge on October 21, 2023, which declined to direct the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the Wazukhana area. The area does not include the structure referred to as ‘Shivling’ by the Hindu petitioners inside the mosque premises.
In his petition, Singh argued that a detailed survey of the wazookhana is crucial to achieve a fair judicial outcome for both the plaintiff and the defendant. His legal team, led by advocates Saurabh Tiwari and Amitabh Trivedi, insisted that understanding the religious nature of the entire property depends on this survey. They also pointed out that the survey can be done using non-invasive methods, as previously outlined by the Supreme Court.
The case has attracted 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 of the Varanasi district judge issued on July 21, 2023, aimed at examining whether the mosque was built over a Hindu temple.
