The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has requested the Varanasi district government's assistance to continue surveying the fenced area of Gyanvapi on Friday, excluding its blockaded part. The move comes as Allahabad High Court on Thursday gave the green light to the exercise.
Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, a lawyer for the four Hindu female plaintiffs in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case, said the investigation would start from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Friday.
A senior official said the county government received a letter from ASI's additional superintendent, Alok Tripathi, asking for cooperation and assistance in the investigation.
District Judge S Rajalingam said: “The order of the high court will be complied with. ASI has requested our cooperation (from the authorities) to start the investigation from tomorrow (Friday). The authorities will provide all the cooperation and support they (ASI team members) need (for the investigation).
On July 21, the Varanasi District Magistrates Court ordered the ASI to thoroughly investigate the mosque to verify whether it was built on a pre-existing temple and found that a Scientific investigation is needed to unravel the truth.
However, the judge ruled out that the part - where the Hindu side says the Shivling was found and the Muslims say the structure is part of the fountain - remains sealed since the order of the Supreme Court in May 2022.
The Varanasi District Magistrates Court is hearing the petitions of four women, Rekha Pathak, Manju Vyas, Sita Sahu, and Lakshmi Devi. They are among five Hindu women (the other being Rakhi Singh) who filed a lawsuit against Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi in August 2021 for permission to practice unfettered worship at the Maa Shringar Gauri mosque. A 40-member ASI team then arrived in Varanasi on July 24 and investigated the Gyanvapi complex for over four and a half hours.
Later on the same day (July 24), the Supreme Court suspended the "detailed scientific investigation" until 5 p.m. on July 26. The Supreme Court said it should give 'breathing time' to appeal the court order of the Varanasi District Judge authorizing its execution.
By order of the Supreme Court, ASI has halted the investigation into the plea of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Commission of the Gyanvapi Mosque.
“Given that the High Court order was issued on July 21, 2023, at 4:30 p.m., and the investigation is ongoing today, we believe that 'breathing time' should be allowed to petitioners apply to the High Court to pursue their appeal. We request that the District Court's unlawful order not be executed until 5:00 p.m. on July 26, 2023. This should not be construed as an expression of value," the bench includes Chief. Court of India D Y Chandrachud, Judge J B Pardiwala, and Judge Manoj Misra ordered.
The higher court has declared that the mosque committee is free to move the high court against the order of the district judge, Varanasi. On July 27, the Allahabad High Court extended the suspension of the investigation into Gyanvapi Masjid until a ruling is made on August 3. The High Court said the Court's July 24 order The Supreme Court temporarily suspended the mosque investigation which will be in effect until August 3. Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Pritinker Diwaker gave the order while hearing the plea of the committee Anjuman Intezamia Masjid challenged the Varanasi District Judge's court order on the 'inquiry'.
