In the ongoing Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute, the five Hindu women who had filed the suit have been handed over the report of a video survey of the premises by a district court in Varanasi.
The report’s contents were handed over to the plaintiffs on Monday after they submitted an undertaking that they would not copy the material supplied to them, and nor would they leak it in the public domain without seeking the court’s permission.
Advocate Ranjana Agnihotri, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, said the undertaking had been submitted before the court as directed by the judge.
Senior Advocate Mumtaz Ahmed, one of the lawyers for the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, said they have filed an undertaking before the judge that they would not copy the survey report or leak it to the public if they were supplied with it. “We are expecting the report by tomorrow,” he stated.
Significantly, the Masjid committee had filed an application before the court asking that the contents of the survey and its report be shared only with those who are party to the dispute. It had said that there were several parties seeking access to these records even though they have nothing to do with the court proceedings.
Given the sensitivity of the issue, the Masjid committee had sought that the report not be made public.
These developments came as the court of District Judge A.K. Vishvesha heard the committee’s submissions challenging the maintainability of the suit filed by the five Hindu women for the second day. After hearing the submissions, the court posted the matter for hearing on July 4.
Mr. Ahmed said they continued their arguments and would most likely need one more day to conclude.
More applications
More parties have or are approaching the court to be impleaded in the suit and arrayed as plaintiffs. One advocate, Vijay Shankar Rastogi, has now filed an impleadment application as the “next friend” of Lord Vishveshwara.
Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay said he too was preparing to file an impleadment application in this suit before the district court in Varanasi.
