VARANASI: District Judge Ajay Krishna Vishvesha has appointed the district magistrate of Varanasias the receiver of the southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque in the suit filed by the head priest of Acharya Ved Vyas Peeth temple Shailendra Kumar Pathak, while the plea of advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi to become a party of Vyas’s suit was rejected on Wednesday.
The plea was filed by Pathak on September 25, 2023.
Vyas’s advocates Vishnu Jain and Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi said, “In an order issued on Wednesday, the district judge stated that the suit of Vyas was being accepted and district magistrate of Varanasi was appointed as receiver of the southern cellar (disputed property) in settlement plot no. 1930.
The district magistrate of Varanasi has been directed to keep the disputed property safe under his custody and ensure that no change was made in it. January 25 has been fixed as the next date for the hearing.
Besides, the application 34c of Rastogi moved to become a party in Vyas’s suit was rejected, said Jain.
Rastogi had moved this plea mentioning that since he was already contesting suit no. 610/ 1991 as ‘next friend’ of the deity, no one can stake claim to this property by filing a suit without making him a party.
Making Anjuman Intejamia Masjid-Gyanvapi Mosque management committee party, Vyas had, on September 25, 2023, filed a suit before the court of civil judge senior division, seeking worship of Shringar Gauri, other visible and invisible deities in the cellar of Gyanvapi mosque and appoint district magistrate or any other suitable person as receiver of the cellar in southern side of building.
After a few minutes of filing the suit on September 25, 2023, Vyas’s advocates moved another application before the court of the district judge seeking its transfer to his court, mentioning that it will deem fit in the interest of justice.
The district judge allowed the transfer of the case to his court on October 19, 2023.
Meanwhile, the Varanasi district magistrate, S.Rajalingam, told reporters that the date for cleaning the wuzukhana (ablution pond) of Gyanvapi mosque would be determined after receiving the Supreme Court’s order.