Allahabad High Court to hear Gyanvapi plea on August 12

Prayagraj (UP): The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday adjourned the Gyanvapi mosque case to August 12.

The court was hearing a plea challenging Varanasi District Court’s order denying the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) permission to survey the wazukhana area, excluding the Shivling, inside the mosque premises.

The wazukhana area was sealed in 2022 as per an order from the Supreme Court.

The ASI has established that a temple existed before the mosque was built on the land.

On December 18, 2023 the ASI handed over its findings on the Gyanvapi mosque complex to the Varanasi District Court.

This move came after the completion of cleaning work in the wazukhana area, as directed by the Supreme Court.

The legal tussle dates back to a 1991 petition filed in Varanasi, seeking restoration of Gyanvapi land to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The claim was that the mosque was constructed under the orders of Aurangzeb, who allegedly pulled down a part of the temple in the 16th Century.

The ASI initiated the survey in August 2023, with several extensions granted for the final report.