HC reserves judgment in Gyanvapi mosque case

The Allahabad High Court reserved its judgment on Friday in a petition challenging the maintainability of a suit seeking "restoration" of a temple at the site of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi.

Justice Rohit Ranjan Agrawal reserved the judgment after hearing the counsel for the parties. The future date in the case will be decided by the court.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee of Varanasi as well as the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board have challenged the maintainability of the original suit filed in the matter in 1991 in the Varanasi district court.

The suit seeks restoration of an ancient temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque currently stands. It has been claimed in the suit that the mosque was a part of the temple.

By an order dated 28 August, the then chief justice Pritinkar Diwakar had transferred the case from justice Prakash Padia to himself, saying the "single judge continued with the hearing of these cases for more than two years, even though he had no jurisdiction in the matter as per the roster".

He had further said the decision to withdraw the case from the single-judge bench to the chief justice's court was taken on the administrative side in the interest of judicial propriety, judicial discipline and transparency in the listing of cases.

Justice Diwakar retired on 22 November and after his retirement, the case was listed before Justice Agrawal.

Counsel for the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee SFA Naqvi said the petition also challenges a Varanasi court direction to the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Gyanvapi mosque. The order was passed on 8 April 2021.