Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, May 16: The Supreme Court will hear the management of the Gyanvapi mosque’s request for a stay of the ongoing survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday.
The appeal of the Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, which handles the business of the Gyanvapi mosque, will be heard by a bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud and PS Narasimha.
On the Muslim side’s request, a bench led by Chief Justice NV Ramana refused to issue an interim order of status quo against the ongoing religious complex survey last week.
“Upon being mentioned by Huzefa Ahmadi, senior counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner, we deem it appropriate to direct the Registry to list the matter before the bench presided over by Dr Justice DY Chandrachud,” the bench, also comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and Hima Kohli, had said in its order.
Ahmadi, who is representing the mosque committee, informed the bench that a complaint had been lodged against the survey being undertaken at the site, and that he was seeking an immediate interim order.
The Muslim side has demanded that the mosque survey be halted, citing Section 4 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits the filing of any suit or initiating any other legal proceeding for the conversion of a place of worship’s religious character, as it existed on August 15, 1947.
Notably, Varanasi local court rejected a request to replace the attorney commissioner it had designated to undertake a videography survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex last week, and ordered the assignment to be completed by May 17.
