The Varanasi District Court on Thursday rejected an application moved by the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee to stop the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex being carried out of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as the cost of the survey was not deposited by the plaintiffs.
Anupam Dwivedi, the counsel of plaintiff number 1 Rakshi Singh, said that the court of District Judge Dr Ajay Krishna Vishvesha while rejecting the application of the Intezamia Committee pointed out the superior court, including the Supreme Court and High Court have dictum the order.
He said that the court said that it could not interfere in the orders of the superior court. “The court told the Intezamia Committee to move the SC on this point,” he said.
The counsel said that the court has fixed October 5 as the next date of hearing on an application regarding survey of the sealed area of the Gyanvapi complex.
It may be noted that the Intezamia Committee had moved an application requesting to stop the ASI survey on the ground that the cost of the exercise was not deposited by the plaintiffs that is by the Hindu side.
Dwivedi said that the court also disposed of an application moved by other plaintiffs in the case requesting to preserve the items and materials found from the Gyanvapi complex during the scientific survey by the ASI.
The District Judge said that the court said that it had already directed the administration on the application of respondent Rakhi Singh thus their application will be consolidated with the original application.
It may be noted that on September 14 the district court had directed the district administration to preserve the items and materials found from the Gyanvapi complex during the scientific survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The plaintiff number 1 Rakhi Singh in her application had accused the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, defendant number 4, of destroying evidence found from Gyanvapi complex.
The court in its order had said, “Considering all the facts and keeping in mind that a scientific survey of the site in question is being done by the ASI currently. It seems right that the items and material found during the survey of the site in question whether it is related to case, or Hindu religion or method or worship or could be important in disposal of the case from historical or archaeological point of view the ASI should hand over such things to the District Magistrate or the officer nominated by him.”
The court had said, “The officer will preserve the items and produce the same in court whenever summoned by it. The ASI will prepare a list of the items found during the survey and submit a copy in the court and hand over another copy to the District Magistrate.”
