Varanasi court sacks Gyanvapi survey chief for ‘leaking to media’

VARANASI: A day after petitioners claimed that a 'shivling' had been found during the survey of Gyanvapi premises, civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar on Tuesday removed advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra on the charges of not performing his duty responsibly and engaging a private cameraman in the survey process.
This cameraman had reportedly leaked some details of the survey to the media on Monday. Mishra, who was the first to be appointed as the advocate commissioner to supervise the Gyanvapi survey, denied the charges.
As the survey report could not be submitted by the commission on Tuesday, the court directed special advocate commissioner Vishal Singh to table the report of the survey conducted after its May 12 order on May 19.
In its Tuesday order, the court also mentioned that Vishal Singh informed it that Ajay Kumar engaged a private cameraman, RP Singh, in the survey process.
When the survey was in progress, this photographer kept passing wrong facts to the media due to which he was ousted from the survey work, said the court and added that Ajay Kumar Mishra had admitted to the fact. “A person assumes the role of a public servant on being appointed as advocate commissioner,” the court said, adding, “it was expected that the advocate commissioner will perform his duty impartially and honestly, and avoid issuing irresponsible statements in public.
However, Ajay Kumar Mishra performed his duties as advocate commissioner very irresponsibly.” “In investigation, it has become clear that the photographer engaged by him kept giving media bytes, which is totally against the judicial decorum,” the court said while ordering to remove Mishra from court commission with immediate effect.
The court further stated that special court commissioner Vishal Singh will prepare the report of the work done by the court commission after May 12. Also, assistant advocate commissioner Ajay Pratap Singh was directed to work under Vishal Singh and not to do anything independently. Both of them were appointed by the court while hearing Gyanvapi side's petition to remove Mishra.