The Varanasi district court will decide on January 24 as to whether the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) scientific survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque should be made public and a copy of the same be given to the parties involved in the dispute.
The ASI, earlier this year, had approached the court requesting a delay in the release of the report by four weeks to provide the agency breathing time to file the report in the 1991 suit pertaining the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Mosque dispute.
Justice A.K. Vishvesh adjourned the hearing on the applications filed by the Hindu petitioners seeking a copy of the survey report, till January 24. The court noted that the ASI in its application has said that it has already presented the scientific report on Gyanvapi in a sealed cover in the present case. The ASI application also stated that if the survey report were to be circulated among the general public, before being submitted in cases sub judice before other courts, it may lead to rumour-mongering and misrepresentation.
