A Varanasi court on Monday ordered the district magistrate to seal a portion of the Gyanvapi mosque premises after the Hindu side claimed that a “shivling” was found there during the survey on the third day. The court also ordered the district administration to prohibit the entry of any person to the area.
The Court Commissioner and his team completed the survey and videography of the Gyanvapi premises, believed by Hindus to be the ancient Adi Visheshwar premises, and will submit the report to the court on Tuesday. The court ordered sealing of the premises even before submission of the report by the Court Commissioner.
Court Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra and his team started conducting the survey of the rest part of the Gyanvapi premises on the third day at 8 am and completed the work in about two hours. During the survey led by the Court Commissioner, the Commissioners Vishal Singh and Ajay Pratap Singh, advocates of the plaintiff and defendants, were present.
The Hindu side claimed that a “shivling” was found in a portion of Gyanvapi premises during the survey. It also claimed that the “shivling” is Nandi-faced and the place where it has been found is located in the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
Advocate of the plaintiff (five women who filed the plea) Hari Shankar Jain submitted an application in the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar on Monday morning seeking directive to the CRPF commandant to seal the place where the shivling was found as it was an important evidence in the case.
He also sought the court's directive to the district magistrate to prohibit the entry of any person to this area.
The order of sealing the spot is a violation of 1991 Act, says AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on a petitioner's claim that "shivling" found in Gyanvapi masjid. "It's a fountain, not shivling. Every masjid has this fountain. Why the claim was not raised by commissioner of the court? The order of sealing the spot is a violation of 1991 Act: AIMIM chief ," Owaisi tweeted.
The district magistrate, commissioner of police and commandant of CRPF would be responsible for the security of the sealed area, the court said. In the meantime, the team of Mishra completed the survey of the Gyanvapi premises. During the survey, both sides and their advocates were present besides the representatives of government, district administration and police commissionerate.
The advocates of the Hindu side claimed that evidences were found in favor of their case while the advocates of the Muslim side claimed that nothing was found during the survey. The advocates of both sides avoided disclosing what was found during the survey.
During the survey, there was a heavy deployment of security personnel in and outside the Gyanvapi premises for security and the devotees were allowed to go to Kashi Vishwanath temple for worship from another gate instead of Gate No 4.
Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar had appointed Mishra as the court commissioner to conduct the survey and videography of the Gyanvapi premises on a petition filed by five Delhi-based women seeking permission to worship at Shringar Gauri temple and other idols located on the Gyanvapi premises. When the court Commissioner started the survey on May 6, the advocates of the defendant objected, raising questions over his fairness and the survey was stopped that day due to the protest by the Muslim side.
The Anjuman Intejamia Masjid Committee, which is also a party in the case, filed a petition in the court on May 7 demanding that the court Commissioner be replaced. On the same day, the plaintiff also filed a petition seeking permission to survey the basement of the Gyanvapi premises also. The court rejected the plea of the Anjuman Intejamia Masjid Committee to replace the court Commission but appointed two Commissioners to accompany the court Commissioner during the survey and ordered the survey of the entire premises, including the basement. The survey and videography of the premises on the court order began on May 14.