Gyanvapi dispute: Court defers decision on making ASI’s scientific survey report public till January 24

The Varanasi district court has scheduled a hearing for January 24 to decide whether the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) report on the Gyanvapi mosque should be disclosed to the public and provided to the parties involved in the case. The ASI had earlier asked for a four-week deferment in releasing the report to collect additional information related to a 1991 lawsuit involving the Kashi Vishwanath Gyanvapi Mosque dispute. Justice A.K. Vishvesh postponed the review of requests put forward by Hindu petitioners for a copy of the survey report until January 24. The court mentioned the ASI has already submitted a sealed version of the scientific investigation report on the Gyanvapi mosque for the ongoing trial. The ASI also indicated circulating the report to the general public before presenting it in other ongoing cases could provoke rumors and distortions. The court considered it wise to hold off immediate response to the requests and recommended presenting the file on January 24, 2023, while allowing both parties to present objections. Previously, the Varanasi district court had directed the ASI on July 21, 2023, to perform a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque to ascertain if it had been built on the ruins of a Hindu temple. The ASI was instructed not to damage the site or perform any excavation during the survey. Due to some legal conflicts, the survey was briefly paused and was resumed on August 4 after the green light from the Supreme Court. The completed survey report, which extends hundreds of pages along with supporting documents, was submitted to the court on December 18. These orders originated from a lawsuit by Rakshi Singh and four other women who claimed the Gyanvapi mosque was originally a Hindu temple and requested access to worship Hindu deities within the mosque area throughout the year. Despite obstruction by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee citing the Places of Worship Act, 1991, the Varanasi court held that the plaintiffs had the right to present their proof. The court specified that since the claimants asserted ongoing worship of Hindu deities in the mosque after August 15, 1947 (the cut-off period under the Places of Worship Act), the 1991 Act does not apply to this case.