Allahabad High Court defers hearing of Wazukhana issue at Gyanvapi mosque till July 4
By Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court on Monday adjourned till July 4 the hearing on a revision petition seeking an ASI survey of the Wazukhana (ablution pond) except for the Shiva Linga inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal directed to list this matter on July 4 as the next date of hearing after being informed of an interim Supreme Court order restraining courts across the country from passing directions on lawsuits relating to religious places.
The present revision petition filed in the high court by one Rakhi Singh has challenged a Varanasi district judge’s order dated October 21, 2023 refusing to direct the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake a survey of the ‘wazukhana (ablution pond) area except the structure, which the Hindu side claims to be a Shivling and the Muslim side describes as a fountain in the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
In her revision petition, Rakhi Singh pleaded that the survey was necessary in the interest of justice. It shall benefit the plaintiffs and the defendants alike and help the court arrive at a just decision, according to the plea.
The ASI survey is necessary so that the religious character of the property can be determined, it was said.
A scientific survey of the complex has already been conducted by the ASI, and the report has been submitted to the Varanasi district judge.
The survey was conducted in accordance with a July 2023 order of the district judge to determine if the mosque was built over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
