Varanasi:A Varanasi court on Wednesday ruled that the ASI survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex adjoining the Kashi Vishwanath temple here will be given to both the Hindu and Muslim sides. The order to this effect was given by District Judge A K Vishvesh.
Following a July 21 last year order of the district court, the ASI carried out the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises to determine whether the mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple. Madan Mohan Yadav, the counsel for the Hindu side, told PTI that the parties would acquire the survey report's copy on Thursday after submitting an application for the same.
After hearing the matter, Judge Vishvesh said, "I am of the view that the survey report prepared by ASI has been filed by ASI in the Court, both the parties to the suit must be provided copies of the survey report so that they can file objections against the ASI report." "I am of the view that in the interest of justice, it is necessary that a copy of the survey report be provided to the parties to the suit," the judge said in the order.
The court also allowed Kashi Vishwanath temple trust, Varanasi DM and state's home secretary to get a copy of the ASI survey report, Hindu side counsel Yadav said. Earlier, a Hindu side lawyer had said that the court while allowing the parties to get a copy of the survey report also asked them to give an affidavit to keep the report with them and not make it public. However, a written order of the court did not mention it.
The counsel for the Gyanvapi mosque management committee, Mohd Tauhid, said they would acquire the copy of the survey report by submitting an application on Thursday. Yadav said the ASI submitted its survey report in the Fast Track Court of Justice Prashant Singh after which the matter came in the district judge court who ordered to provide hard copies of the report to the parties.