Varanasi court grants 8 more weeks to ASI to complete scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque complex

Varanasi (UP): A Varanasi court on Friday granted eight more weeks to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to complete the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex and submit its report, government counsel Rajesh Mishra said.

District Judge A K Vishvesh dismissed the mosque management committee's objection and provided the additional time to the ASI, Mishra said.

The ASI is carrying out a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, next to Kashi Vishwanath temple here, to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.

The survey began after the Allahabad High Court upheld a Varanasi district court order and ruled that the step is "necessary in the interest of justice" and will benefit both the Hindu and Muslim sides.

Advocate of the Hindu side Madan Mohan Yadav said the court had earlier given time till September 4 to survey the Gyanvapi complex except the Wazoo khana and submit its report. As the survey work was not complete, the advocate of the Archaeological Survey of India had sought additional time of eight weeks to complete the survey work.

During the last hearing, the Muslim side had presented its objection and said the ASI team was not authorised to survey the premises by removing debris or garbage.

The Muslim side alleged that ASI is digging in the basement as well as other places of the Gyanvapi complex without permission and accumulating debris on the western wall of the structure, which may pose a risk of collapse of the structure.

The ASI survey work resumed on August 4. The Varanasi court, the same day, also granted the ASI an additional month to complete the survey, extending its original deadline from August 4 to September 4.

The mosque side also went to the Supreme Court against the Allahabad HC's order. The apex court had on August 4 refused to stay the Allahabad High Court order on an ASI survey.

In its order the bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, however, asked the Archaeological Survey of India not to carry out any invasive act during the survey. This ruled out any excavations, which the Varanasi court had said can be conducted, if necessary.