Supreme Court to hear Gyanvapi survey plea today
Advocates flash victory sign, at the District Court in Mathura on Thursday. The court allowed the plea by the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust and other private parties seeking ownership of the land on which the Shahi Idgah Mosque is built
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Varanasi civil court to desist from hearing the Gyanvapi mosque survey case after the lawyer representing the Hindu plaintiffs sought an adjournment for a day.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu plaintiffs before the Varanasi court, gave an undertaking before a bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud that "they will not press for continuing proceedings before the civil court in Varanasi today".
After a short hearing, the top court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on Friday at 3 pm.
Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Varanasi, submitted as the top court was hearing the matter, the civil court was proceeding in the matter and urged the court to ask the trial court not to proceed in view of adjournment for a day. Ahmadi also raised the issue of demolition of a wall around the 'wuzukhana'.
Jain submitted that the main lawyer Hari Shankar Jain, representing the five Hindu women before the civil court, 'was unable to attend the top court today'. He reiterated before the bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and PS Narasimha, that 'they will not go ahead with the proceedings before the civil court today'. On May 17, the Supreme Court directed the Varanasi administration to protect and seal the area where a 'Shivling' was found during a video survey inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex. However, the apex court also directed the concerned authorities to not restrict Muslims from entering the mosque to offer 'namaz'.