The Varanasi district court on Monday completed hearing of arguments in the the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque case and reserved its decision until tomorrow. Distinct Judge AK Vishvesha heared a civil suit in the case.
The hearing began in the court days after the Supreme Court said it would not interfere with the Gyanvapi mosque survey and transferred the case to the lower court, while noting the “complexities and sensitivities involved in the matter” would require a “more senior and experienced hand”.
The hearing got over in 45 minutes. Lawyers of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which managed the mosque, urged the court to decide first whether the Hindu petitioners’ case was maintainable under Places of Worship Act, 1991. Further, raising its objections, the Muslim side namaz was being offered there since 1936. The Hindu petitioners urged the court to include photographs and video with the survey report of the mosque complex as part of its hearing.
Advocate Vishnu Jain, representing the Hindu side, said, “The hearing was completed and the decision has been kept reserved. The next date of hearing will be given. We had given an application to provide us with CD and photographs of the report submitted by the commission:
Only 23 people, including 19 counsels and four petitioners, were allowed inside the courtroom during the hearing, police said.Former court commissioner Ajay Mishra was not allowed inside the court. According to a report in LiveLaw, court employees said only those whose name would be there in the ‘vakalatnama’ were allowed inside the court room.
