The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to consider listing the plea filed by the management committee of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi against Allahabad High Court’s ruling that the ASI can survey the mosque premises, except for 'wuzu khana'.
"The High Court has pronounced the order in the matter that Milords has remanded to them. We filed an SLP (special leave petition) against that. We sent the email as per the protocol (SoP for mentioning)," said advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for the Mosque Committee, while mentioning the matter for urgent listing.
"I will look into the email right away," responded CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, agreeing to consider listing the matter urgently.
In anticipation of the appeal, the Hindu plaintiffs on Thursday have also lodged a caveat, or a notice submitted to an appellate court by a litigant who wishes to be heard in case any orders are issued regarding an opponent's appeal that challenges the decision or judgment made by the lower court.
In its order passed earlier on Thursday, the High Court dismissed the plea moved by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee challenging the order passed by Varanasi District Court directing the Archaeological Survey of India to survey the barricaded area of the mosque premises, barring the sealed area.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Pritinkar Diwakar of the high court brushed aside the Mosque Committee’s apprehensions that the survey may result in damage to the structure.
"The survey is required to do justice. Survey needs to be done with few conditions. Do survey, but without dredging," it said.
Earlier, the high court had directed the ASI not to carry out the survey until hearing in the case is completed.
In the last week of July, it had reserved its order in the matter after hearing the both sides.
The Mosque Committee had told the high court that the historic structure may fall during the ASI survey. On the other hand, the ASI had maintained that radar mapping will not affect the structure of the mosque.
In an interim relief passed on July 24, the Supreme Court ordered that Varanasi court’s direction allowing an extensive survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid by the ASI will not be enforced till 5 p.m. on July 26.
It asked the Masjid Committee to move the Allahabad High Court to challenge the order passed by the Varanasi district court.
On July 21, the district court directed the ASI to ascertain whether the mosque was built over a pre-existing Hindu temple, holding that the scientific investigation is "necessary" for the "true facts" to come out. The Varanasi court order sought a report from ASI up to August 4 when the matter will be taken up next. The court, however, ordered the exclusion of the section which had remained sealed since the Supreme Court order in May 2022.
The area under seal is where Hindus insist a Shivling has been found, while Muslims claim it is part of a fountain.
The district court order came on applications moved by four of the five Hindu plaintiffs who filed a suit in August 2021, demanding the right of unhindered worship at the Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal. The mosque management committee, in its reply, refuted that the mosque was built over a temple, maintaining the structure at the spot was always a mosque.
It opposed the survey, saying such an exercise cannot be ordered to collect evidence.
No nuclear signalling by Pakistan during ‘Operation Sindoor’, Parliamentary panel told: Sources
In a crucial security and foreign policy briefing, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs was informed that there was no nuclear signalling from Pakistan during the recent military standoff following Operation Sindoor, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Cancer touches us all, says Joe Biden after being diagnosed with 'aggressive' form of disease
Former US President Joe Biden on Monday released his first statement hours after his office announced that he has been diagnosed with a relatively aggressive form of prostate cancer.
India’s foodgrain production jumps 6.8 pc to surpass 1,663.9 lakh tonnes in FY25
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Monday that India's foodgrain production has increased by over 106 lakh tonnes to 1,663.91 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, which represents a 6.83 per cent increase over the corresponding figure of the previous year.
Survey seeks public opinion on name 'Operation Sindoor', a resounding yes is the answer
The Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the barbaric and savage act of terror in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, has found near-unanimous support from the countrymen, not just for its targeted and precise military strikes but also over its nomenclature.
Fear grips Pakistan as Lashkar terrorists are gunned down one after another in Sindh province
A leading Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Abdul Wahid Kumbho was shot dead before top LeT terrorist Razaullah Nizamani Khalid, also known as Abu Saifullah Khalid, was killed by armed men in Sindh province on Sunday, local sources confirmed on Monday.
Col Sofiya Qureshi remarks: SC orders formation of SIT, stays arrest of MP Minister
The Supreme Court on Monday ordered formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the charges against Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah, facing legal heat over his controversial remarks on Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
Arrested ex-UCO Bank chief got illegal gratification in loan fraud case, says ED
Subodh Kumar Goel, the former chairman and managing director (CMD) of Kolkata-headquartered public sector commercial bank, UCO Bank, who was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week, received “illegal gratification” from a corporate entity which was the principal beneficiary in a bank loan forgery case.
Cash at judge's residence: SC agrees to list plea seeking FIR against Justice Varma
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list for urgent hearing a plea seeking criminal prosecution of Justice Yashwant Varma, who is embroiled in a controversy surrounding the alleged discovery of a huge pile of burnt cash in the storeroom attached to his bungalow in the national capital after the fire brigade had gone there to douse a blaze on March 14.