Varanasi Court To Hear Plea Seeking Survey Of Basements In Gyanvapi Mosque

A district court here fixed November 2 for a hearing on a plea for the survey of two basements in the Gyanvapi Mosque complex and imposed a penalty on the mosque committee for not filing an objection to it in time.

District Government Counsel Mahendra Pandey said the court had earlier asked the mosque committee to file an abjection to the plea filed by Hindu plaintiffs in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex case.

"The mosque side could not file any objection, after which the court slapped a fine of Rs 100 on them and fixed November 2 for hearing," Pandey added.

The court on Friday also rejected prayers of four people for becoming a party to the case.

Earlier on Monday, the court had rejected similar applications of seven people.

The people who had filed applications for becoming a party to the case included former Kashi Vishwanath temple mahant Kulpati Tiwari, Hindu Sena national president Vishnu Gupta, weaver Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari and president of Brahmin Mahasabha Ajay Kumar Sharma, Pandey said.

While some of the applicants prayed for becoming a party to the case seeking permission for regular worship of deities whose idols are located on an outer wall of the mosque, others said they had detailed information of the matter .

Lawyers connected with the case have been claiming that the basements are located near the "wazookhana", a place for the ritual ablution in the mosque complex.

One of the petitioners from the Hindu side also pleaded for ensuring the safety of idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi, which they claimed have been recovered from the complex.

Last Friday, the court had turned down the Hindu petitioners' plea seeking scientific investigation and carbon dating of a "Shivling" claimed to have been found on the mosque premises. The Muslim side has rejected the claim.

The Gyanvapi mosque is located next to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple and the case in the Varanasi court has revived claims that the mosque was built on a portion of the Hindu structure demolished on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

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