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    Finish Gyanvapi survey in 4 days; report by Tuesday says Varanasi court

    Synopsis

    The court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar, which had also heard the matter relating to the opening of the two basements located inside the mosque complex for videography, delivered the verdict after hearing the arguments of both the sides.

    gyanvapiAgencies
    The Gyanvapi mosque management committee had filed an application seeking a replacement of court official Ajay Kumar Mishra, who was assigned to do the survey, claiming he was not impartial.
    A Varanasi court on Thursday allowed photography and videography to continue at the Gyanvapi mosque and refused to remove or replace the current court-appointed advocate commissioner in-charge of the exercise despite one faction accusing him of being "biased". The court has now asked the exercise to be completed within the next four days and a report to be submitted in court by May 17.

    In his order, civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar said the advocate commissioner is "free to" videograph and photograph spots "pointed out by the plaintiffs". And, if any resistance is shown at any spot, or locks, wherever put, are not opened, then the district administration will be free to "open/break open" locks to allow the exercise to be completed.

    This is a crucial directive as a key concern which had led the mosque committee, the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, to stall the exercise on Saturday was that the order following which the exercise was being conducted did not specify whether inspection could be done beyond the barricading and in the basement of the mosque.

    "The exercise of the commission will not be stopped in any event, even if any of the parties do not cooperate," said the judge, adding the administration can file an FIR against anyone seeking to obstruct the exercise in any way. The exercise will be conducted from 8 am to 12 pm daily until it is complete.

    The court, however, appointed two additional commissioners to carry out the exercise along with current commissioner, Ajay Kumar Mishra.

    Commenting on the row, the judge also observed that an "ordinary civil matter" has been made into an "extraordinary one", leading to the "creation of an environment of fear", so much so that the judge's own family is worried about his safety.

    The case pertains to a plea filed by five Hindu women last year seeking permission for daily worshipping of Hindu deities inside the mosque complex. They had pleaded they be allowed to worship the deities without any interference or hindrance by the defendants or the mosque committee. The Hindu side has long maintained that the mosque was built by demolishing a temple in the 17th century by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and several petitions have been filed to declare the same.

    Accordingly, judge Diwakar appointed an advocate, Ajay Kumar Mishra, as the commissioner to inspect and videograph the temple-mosque complex and submit its report. The inspection began last Friday but was stalled on Saturday following objections by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee which denied entry to Mishra inside the mosque premises, and raised questions on the way he was conducting the exercise, calling him "biased" towards the plaintiffs' cause, before it filed a plea in the court seeking to replace him.

    It was also claimed by the Muslim side that the order for inspection does not make it clear whether the exercise could be conducted beyond the barricading and inside the basement of the mosque. Therefore a clarification was also sought by the Hindu side on whether the inspection can take place at the said spots or not.


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