Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh): The Varanasi District Court on Monday heard the Order 7 Rule 11 CPC application filed by the defendants (including the Anjuman Islamia committee) questioning the maintainability of the suit filed by the plaintiffs in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute.
District Judge Dr Ajay Krishna Vishwesha has posted the matter for the next hearing on July 4. Hearing of Anjuman Intezemia Masjid Committee's plea challenging the maintainability of a suit filed by Hindu women, saying that it is barred by the Places of Worship Act, deferred till July 4, says advocate Vishnu Jain, Hindu side's lawyer.
On May 24, the Court had decided to hear the Order 7 Rule 11 CPC application in consonance with the directions of the Supreme Court issued on May 20 wherein it was said that Order 7 Rule 11 CPC application filed by the Anjuman Islamia committee over the maintainability of the suit be decided on priority.
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"In the May 26 hearing, our team had explained how the claims and demands of the women plaintiffs cannot be allowed as they had not produced any evidence in support of their petition while their averments in several paragraphs of their petition are contradictory," AIM advocate Abhay Nath Yadav said.
On May 26, the district judge had started hearing the case on the issue of its maintainability in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court.
The plaintiffs' lawyer Hari Shankar Jain said his team will be in court on Monday though he is not sure whether the arguments of AIM advocates would conclude, and they would get an opportunity to counter them.
AIM advocates are also likely to mention how the Gyanvapi mosque is covered under the Protection of Places of Worship Act, 1991, besides other laws and orders of the Supreme Court.
Plaintiffs Rakhi Singh of Delhi and Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas and Rekha Pathak had filed the petition in the court of civil judge on August 18, 2021.
On April 8, the court appointed an advocate commissioner for the survey and videography of the Gyanvapi mosque. (With Agency Inputs)
