HC adjourns hearing in Gyanvapi case till December 5

On Friday, the matter was listed before the bench of justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal and when the same was called for hearing, a request was made on behalf of the counsel of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC) as well as from the other side to adjourn the case. Accepting their request, justice Agarwal fixed December 5 as the next date for hearing the matter.

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court on Friday fixed December 5 for hearing of five connected petitions filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC) and four others, challenging maintainability of a suit pending before a Varanasi court seeking restoration of a temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque exists.

The AIMC, which looks after the management of Gyanvapi mosque located adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, has challenged the maintainability of a suit filed before a Varanasi court, wherein the Hindu plaintiff has sought restoration of a temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque presently exists. (Pic for representation)

In the petition, the Varanasi court’s direction dated April 8, 2021 for conducting a comprehensive survey of the Gyanvapi mosque by an advocate commission has also been challenged.

On Friday, the matter was listed before the bench of justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal and when the same was called for hearing, a request was made on behalf of the counsel of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC) as well as from the other side to adjourn the case.

Accepting their request, justice Agarwal fixed December 5 as the next date for hearing the matter.

Earlier at one stage, the then chief justice Pritinkar Diwaker by an order dated August 28 had withdrawn the aforesaid connected cases from the court of single Judge justice Prakash Padia to himself, saying, “The single judge continued with the hearing of these cases for more than two years even though he had no jurisdiction in the matter as per the roster.”

As the chief justice had retired on November 21 the case was listed before justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, where a mention was made to adjourn the case for the day on which court fixed December 5 for hearing.

It may be recalled that the AIMC, which looks after the management of Gyanvapi mosque located adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, has challenged the maintainability of a suit filed before a Varanasi court, wherein the Hindu plaintiff has sought restoration of a temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque presently exists.