Plea on ASI survey report on Gyanvapi mosque case to be heard on Jan 3

VARANASI: The Varanasi district court has fixed January 3 as the next date of hearing on three applications, including one by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC), seeking an order that the report on the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque should be kept in a sealed cover and not be given to any of the parties unless a personal undertaking on an affidavit is submitted that it will not be leaked to anyone.

AIMC, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, filed this application whereas another was filed by four Hindu women plaintiffs' advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, both on December 18.

"We have prayed to the court that the report on scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque should be kept in a sealed cover and should not be given to any of the parties unless a personal undertaking on an affidavit is submitted that it will not be leaked to anyone," said Akhlaque Ahmad, counsel for AIMC.

He added the court fixed January 3 as the next date of hearing.

The AIMC filed another application in the Varanasi district court, urging the court that if it reaches the decision that a copy of the survey report should be given to Jain at his email ID, a copy of the same should also be provided to AIMC counsel Akhlaque Ahmad at his email ID.

Ahmad, who filed the application on behalf of the AIMC, said, "On behalf of (four) women plaintiffs in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case, their counsel Vishnu Shankar Jain filed an application in the court, urging it that a copy of the survey report should be sent to Jain's mail id. We object to the application. But if the court reaches a decision that the survey report can be sent on mail, we prayed to the court to pass an order to send the ASI survey report on the mail id of counsel for the AIMC also."

On December 18, Jain filed an application on behalf of the four Hindu women plaintiffs in the Varanasi district court, seeking a copy of the survey report.

"By filing an application, we have prayed to the court to provide a copy of the survey report to us," Jain said.

On December 18, the ASI filed the Gyanvapi scientific survey report in a sealed packet before the court of district judge Ajaya Krishna Vishvesha, standing government counsel Amit Srivastava, who appeared for the ASI, had said.

In another sealed packet, the ASI team submitted a list of objects found during the survey.

On November 2, the ASI informed the court that survey was completed.

For preparing the report, the ASI sought 15 days' time. The court had granted 15 days to the ASI, directing it to submit the report by November 17.

On November 18, the court granted 10 days' time, ordering the ASI to submit the report on November 28.

The ASI filed the application seeking three more weeks for filing the report.