Gyanvapi case: Court to hear plea seeking survey of tahkhanas on Jan 23

A Varanasi court fixed January 23, 2023 as the next date of hearing in a Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri case pertaining to the Hindu side's demand for a survey of two underground places (tahkhanas)

A Varanasi court on Monday fixed January 23, 2023 as the next date of hearing in a Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri case pertaining to the Hindu side's demand for a survey of two underground places (tahkhanas) on the mosque premises.

District government advocate Mahendra Pandey said that District Judge A K Vishwesh fixed January 23 for the next hearing in the matter in view of an Allahabad High Court order passed on November 30 in a related case.

The high court had fixed January 18, 2023, for hearing a revision petition filed by Laxmi Devi and others challenging the Varanasi district judge's order by which the lower court had refused the demand of carbon dating of a 'Shivling' claimed to have been found in the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

In the case of Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri, the counsel of Hindu side had demanded to get the locks of closed cellars on the Gyanvapi premises opened and conduct a survey.

On November 2, the Gyanvapi mosque management committee filed its objection to the petitioners' demand for a survey of the two underground places on the mosque premises.

Now, the Hindu side has to submit its objection to Gyanvapi mosque committee's plea, Pandey said.

The district Judge has also fixed December 7 for the hearing of a plea seeking simultaneous hearing of six other cases related to Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri dispute, the government advocate said.

On May 17, the lawyers of the Hindu side had submitted an application before the court and demanded a survey of the two closed underground places.