SC to hear plea challenging Allahabad HC order to conduct scientific survey of 'Shivling' at Gyanvapi mosque today

The plea has been filed by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the Gyanvapi mosque management committee.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear a plea on Friday challenging the recent Allahabad High Court order on conducting a scientific survey, including carbon dating of the alleged 'Shivling' at the Gyanvapi mosque in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi. The plea filed by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the Gyanvapi mosque management committee was accepted by a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala which agreed to list the plea for hearing on Friday.

The plea has been filed against the May 12 order by the Allahabad High Court directing for determination of the age of the structure claimed to be 'Shivling' by the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi mosque using modern technology. The Allahabad High Court set aside the Oct. 14 order of the Varanasi District Court that had rejected a plea for scientific investigation, including carbon dating, of the structure found in May 2022 during a court-mandated survey of the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The Allahabad High Court has however directed the Varanasi district judge to proceed, in accordance with law, on the application by the Hindu worshippers for conducting a scientific probe of the structure claimed to be a 'Shivling' by the Hindu side. The court also asked the ASI to ensure that no damage is done to the structure during the survey.

Pertinently, the District Court Varanasi on Wednesday granted the Anjuman Islamia Masjid committee time till May 19 to file their reply/objection, on an application filed by 4 Hindu women worshippers seeking a survey of the entire Gyanvapi mosque premises by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The Hindu women have demanded the survery to find out as to whether the Mosque had been constructed over a pre-existing structure of the Hindu temple.