The Varanasi district court, hearing the civil suit on the Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Viswanath temple complex dispute, will hear on May 26 the Order 7 Rule 11 application by the Muslim side seeking to reject the civil suit of the Hindu side seeking claim on Gyanvapi mosque.
This application relates to whether the reliefs sought by the five Hindu petitioners can even be granted by a court of law. The Muslim side is expected to argue that the suit is barred by the 1991 Place of Worship Act.
There are no specific orders yet on whether the matter will be heard on a day-to-day basis from May 26 onwards. Preliminary arguments will begin on May 26.
The district judge has also asked for objections to the Gyanvapi mosque survey report filed by the commission from both parties.
The Supreme Court, hearing a petition challenging the filming of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque, had said last week that the case will be heard by an experienced judge in Uttar Pradesh.
“This is a complex and sensitive matter. We think that the suit should be heard by a district judge instead of a trial judge. Because better if a more seasoned hand hears it,” the court had said.
The court had also said that “selective leaks” to the press must stop, as Hindu petitioners had released details of the mosque filming report just hours after it was handed over to a Varanasi court in a sealed cover on Thursday.
Early last week, lawyers representing Hindu petitioners claimed that a ‘Shivling’ was found during the videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex.
(For more updates stay tuned with DNP India)
