Varanasi court to decide on January 24 whether to make public ASI report on Gyanvapi mosque complex

A Varanasi court on Saturday fixed 24 January for deciding whether to make public the sealed ASI report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex and provide copies to parties.

The order to this effect was given by district judge A K Vishvesh, Madan Mohan Yadav, counsel for the Hindu side, said.

The counsel of the Hindu and Muslim sides and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) were present in the court.

The court said it will decide the issue after the hearing in the matter before the civil judge senior division fast track court takes place.

The fast track court is scheduled to take up the matter on 19 January.

Allahabad HC had on 19 December dismissed several pleas from Muslim petitioners challenging the maintainability of a suit seeking restoration of the temple where the Gyanvapi mosque now stands in Varanasi.

In his observation, justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal had said the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991 did not define religious character, and this can only be determined through evidence presented in the court by opposing parties.

Either the Gyanvapi compound has a Hindu religious character or a Muslim religious character. It can't have dual character at the same time, the judge had said.