The scientific report on the Gyanvapi mosque survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be presented today by the Varanasi district Court. The Hindu side will object in court today in the Gyanvapi Shringar Gauri case to the Anjuman Arrangements Masjid Committee’s application, requesting that the judge present the ASI report in a sealed cover. The Hindu side claims that this is a blatant “violation” of the Supreme Court’s ruling. On Monday, the Committee of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid requested that the Court withhold the ASI report from any party to which the Hindu side objects. According to attorney Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi for the Hindu side, the Supreme Court said inan order dated August 4 that the report will not be filed in a sealed envelope.
“An application of the Muslim side is also before the Court that the report be filed in a sealed envelope and this be not disclosed in public domain until the report is disposed, we objected to it on 18th December and mentioned that the Supreme Court in its order stated that the report be not filed in a sealed envelope. So, the Court had given today’s date and the hearing will be taken up today. It will be heard if the report will be submitted in an open or sealed envelope,” Hindu side lawyer Advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi said.
Earlier, Hindu side lawyer Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain claimed that the survey report being presented in a selaed envelope is a “violation of the Supreme Court order” and said that the Hindu side has filed an application in the district court and sought a copy of the report.
Notably, the ASI team spent 92 days conducting the survey in the Gyanvapi complex and turned in the survey report to the court in sealed form. The Archaeological Survey of India was given permission by the Allahabad High Court to survey the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi earlier this August.