The district court in Varanasi on Monday resumed the hearing in the ongoing Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath Temple civil dispute, with the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee completing its submissions on all points raised by the Hindu plaintiffs in their suit.
District judge A.K. Vishvesha heard submissions from the masjid panel on its Order VII Rule 11 application challenging the maintainability of the Hindu side’s suit and has now posted the matter for next hearing on July 12.
Senior advocate Mumtaz Ahmed, representing the masjid panel, told The Hindu that they took the court through all the averments mentioned in the Hindu side’s suit. “We will continue the rest of our arguments on specific legislation and other points of law on the next date of hearing,” he said.
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Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is leading the legal team representing the Hindu plaintiffs, said the Muslim side was arguing on “hyper-technicalities”. “For example, they are saying that we have mentioned the incorrect police station in our suit, which I do not think is tenable.”
Advocate Ranjana Agnihotri, a lawyer of the team representing the Hindu plaintiffs, said they would begin their submissions after the masjid panel concluded its arguments. “Our submissions will counter the points raised by the masjid panel in their challenge to the maintainability of our suit,” she said.
Transferred by SC
The civil dispute was transferred to the district and sessions judge in Varanasi by the Supreme Court after the masjid panel challenged the civil court’s decision to order a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises.
After the said video survey, parts of it were leaked in the public domain in violation of court orders, prompting the Hindu side to claim the discovery of a “ shivling” on the premises. The masjid panel had disputed this saying the structure in question was a fountain part of the mosque’s wuzu khana.
After taking up the case, Mr. Vishvesha had directed that his court will first hear the masjid panel’s plea challenging the maintainability of the suit and then get to the contents of the video survey. Accordingly, it had directed all parties to the suit to file their objections to the contents of the survey report, which has been filed.
