SC to hear Gyanvapi mosque survey case today: Top developments

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday stalled Gyanvapi mosque survey related proceedings before a Varanasi court for a day after the mosque management committee alleged a concerted attempt is under way to widen the ambit of a suit seeking right to worship of deities inside the mosque.
Here are the latest developments:
* Allahabad high court adjourns the hearing in the Kashi-Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi Mosque issue of Varanasi till July 6.
* SC to hear case at 3pm
"The Supreme Court will hear the Gyanvapi case at 3pm today. I have heard that the survey report submitted in the court was leaked. I can't say how this happened," said assistant court commissioner Ajay Pratap Singh.
* SC stalls Gyanvapi proceedings in trial court
The Supreme Court on Thursday stalled Gyanvapi mosque survey related proceedings before a Varanasi court for a day after the mosque management committee alleged a concerted attempt is under way to widen the ambit of a suit seeking right to worship of deities inside the mosque.
Appearing for Committee of Management, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, Varanasi, senior advocate Huzefa Ahamadi told a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and P S Narasimha that more and more applications are being filed by plaintiffs, who are now attempting to widening their original prayer and want demolition of a mosque wall for worshipping purposes.
"Let the trial court not proceed with the suit till the SC decides the mosque management committee's appeal," he said.
* Gyanvapi survey report submitted before UP court
The court-appointed commission tasked with surveying the Gyanvapi mosque complex on Thursday submitted to Varanasi civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar a 15-page report.
Along with the report, the commission submitted 32GB of video footage and photographs, and a sheaf of maps packed in three sealed boxes. In adherence to a directive from the Supreme Court, which is hearing a petition challenging the survey, the civil judge didn't pass any order.
While the contents of the report possibly won't be known until at least the next hearing in the Shringar Gauri worship case on May 23, sources linked to the survey claimed several objects found while scanning the inner sanctum of the complex over three days appeared to be part of old temple architecture.
* 'Sculptures of gods found in Gyanvapi mosque'
Several sculptures of gods and goddesses alongwith other structures related to Hindu belief were seen in the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, said advocate Ajay Kumar Mishra, who was appointed commissioner by Varanasi court to survey the Gyanvapi-Gauri Shringar complex but was later removed for leaking the information.
The report submitted by Mishra stated, "Outside the barricading of the disputed area, the ruins of the old temple were found in which sculptures of gods and goddesses and patterns of lotus were seen. In the middle, stone sculptures of Sheshnag and 'Nag phan' like patterns were seen. All the slabs seemed to be part of a big edifice."
* Varanasi court removes advocate commissioner
The Varanasi court, which had ordered a videography survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid complex, had on Tuesday removed Advocate Commissioner Ajay Mishra for displaying "irresponsible behaviour towards the discharge of his duties", while it also granted two more days to the commission to file the survey report.
The removal order by District Civil Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar had come on an application moved by Special Advocate Commissioner Vishal Singh who informed the court that Mishra had "deployed a personal cameraman RP Singh who was giving wrong byte in the media on a regular basis".
The court had said that all the work of the commission after May 12 will be submitted by Vishal Singh.
* SC directs protection of ‘Shivling' area
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the district magistrate of Varanasi to ensure protection of area inside the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex where 'Shivling' was purportedly found during the survey and allowed Muslims to offer ‘Namaz'.
It also unhesitatingly lifted the trial court order limiting entry to only 20 Muslims for offering namaz at the mosque.
Sitting an hour beyond the official business hours in SC till 5.10pm, a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and PS Narasimha patiently heard protests from senior advocate Huzefa A Ahmadi, who appeared for the committee of management, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, Varanasi, that sealing off the "wuzu khana" area would impede namaz as it is essential to perform ablution prior to prayers.
* SC judges hearing Gyanvapi case linked to Ayodhya matter
The hearing of the dispute arising from the purported location of a 'Shivling' within the Gyanvapi mosque at Varanasi and sealing off the 'wuzu khana' area was before a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and PS Narasimha, both of whom were directly connected to the historic Ayodhya verdict delivered by the apex court on November 9, 2019.
Justice Chandrachud was part of the five-judge bench headed by then CJI Ranjan Gogoi, which delivered the unanimous verdict handing over the disputed land for construction of Ram temple. It was Justice Chandrachud who had extensively referred to the sanctity of the Protection of Places of Worship Act, 1991 and the exception it had given to the Ayodhya dispute, thus indicating that it was impermissible under law to change character of any other place of worship from what it was at the time of Independence.
* 3-day-long videography survey
The three-day-long court-monitored videography survey of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi concluded on Monday.
As the survey was completed, the Hindu petitioner in the case, Sohan Lal Arya on Monday claimed that the committee found a Shivling at the complex. Arya, who accompanied the court commission for the mosque survey, said that they have found "conclusive evidence".
The survey was conducted in accordance with the Varanasi Civil Court's order to continue the survey despite objections from the mosque authorities.
* Why the survey began
Five women, all natives of Varanasi, had filed a petition on April 18, 2021 to seek permission for daily worship and performing rituals at the idols of Shringar Gauri in Gyanvapi and stopping the opponents from causing any damage to the statues. Civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar had ordered the survey of Gyanvapi premises by appointing advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra.
Mishra started the survey on May 6 and covered the exterior of the mosque. After that, the survey was stalled as Anjuman Intezamia Masjid (AIM), which filed an objection before court claiming that the advocate commissioner appointed by the court for the survey, did not have the mandate to film inside the premises. AIM demanded changing Mishra as advocate commissioner.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court last week agreed to hear a plea by the Muslim side objecting to the lower court’s order to carry the survey of of the mosque.
-With inputs from agencies