Gyanvapi mosque case: Supreme Court to hear Masjid committee's plea today challenging ASI survey

The Supreme Court on Friday will hear a plea of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee challenging the Allahabad High Court order allowing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises. 

Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, on Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court order. An advocate representing the Muslim body sought an urgent hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and have urged the bench to stop ASI from carrying out the survey. 

Allahabad HC dismisses Muslim party's plea on Thursday

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday dismissed the Muslim party's plea against the Varanasi court's order. Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker, who passed the order, emphasised the survey's importance for justice.

After the judgement, a Caveat application was filed in the Supreme Court by one of the Hindu petitioners in the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque case seeking to be heard before passing any order in case the Muslim side files a plea against the Allahabad High Court allowing the ASI to conduct a scientific survey of the mosque premises.

A Caveat application is filed by a litigant to ensure that no adverse order is passed against him or her without being heard.

On July 24, the top court put on hold till July 26 a detailed scientific survey by the ASI to determine if the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi was built upon a temple.

On July 21, Varanasi district judge AK Vishvesha ordered the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi complex on an application moved by four Hindu women on May 16.

The order of the district judge, however, excluded the ablution pond area of the complex, which has been sealed on the order of the top court.

(With agency inputs)