The case began when Hindu devotees approached a civil court seeking the right to worship inside Gyanvapi Mosque, claiming that it was a Hindu temple and still houses Hindu deities.
The district court on July 21 ordered an ASI survey of the mosque premises excluding the area previously sealed by the Supreme Court (wuzukhana or an ablution pond).
The survey is being conducted amid disputed claims over whether an object found in the Gyanvapi Mosque premises during an earlier survey of the mosque in May 2022 is a Shivlinga or a fountain.
The district court on July 21 this year ordered ASI survey of the mosque premises excluding the area previously sealed by the Supreme Court (wuzukhana or an ablution pond). The same was upheld by the Allahabad High Court on August 3.
The Supreme Court refused to interfere with the High Court order, after factoring in the assurance given by the ASI that there would be no excavation or destruction of property during the survey.
The present application by Rakhi Singh before the Varanasi court said that if the evidence related to the Hindu religion is destroyed, it would pose challenges in handling the suit and also hinder the ability to arrive at a proper judicial decision in this matter.
The application also sought directions to respondent authorities to create rules to limit and oversee the number of individuals offering Namaz at the disputed site.
Additionally, it sought a directive for the Anjuman Committee (the Muslim party to the suit) to abstain from any actions related to coloring or altering the structures within the Gyanvapi mosque premises.
Source: Barandbench
