Gyanvapi survey is to be completed on Monday, May 16th. Reports to be submitted by May 17th.

Gyanvapi mosque survey: Domes, area of offering namaz completed, survey to continue on Monday for other remaining parts.

Rajeev Ranjan Deekshit | HENB | Varanasi | May 15, 2022:: The day three (including 1^st day on May 6^th and 2^nd day on May 14^th) survey on Sunday inside Gyanvapi mosque by a team led by advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra concluded peacefully after covering all three domes and main mosque area, where namaz is usually performed.  Despite extending survey hours, the advocate commissioner found the work incomplete due to scarcity of time. He informed the district administration that the survey will continue on Monday morning also. Talking to the media persons, Varanasi district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said that the survey team covered domes, main mosque area, where namaz is performed, and its walls on the Gyanvapi mosque campus. The scheduled hours for the survey were between 8 am and 12 noon. The survey team tried its best to complete the work by extending the time, but all their tasks could not be completed. The left  the Gyanvapi premises after 1 pm.

The advocate commissioner later informed the district administration that the survey will continue on Monday to cover a few uncovered parts of the premises. Officials said, the survey team needs detailing of already surveyed areas, including the basement in possession of Vyas family, while area of pond for wuzu (purification ritual) and some other parts will be surveyed on Monday.

The DM said that all team members were asked to be present at Gyanvapi on Monday morning to ensure completion of the survey by the advocate commissioner as its report has to be submitted before the court on Tuesday. Officials expected that the remaining works of survey will be completed in a maximum of two hours on Monday morning.

Earlier, the survey team of over 50 persons, including advocate commissioner Mishra, the special and assistant advocate commissioners, both parties, their lawyers and videographers entered the Gyanvapi premises at 8 am. Apart from them, the ADM (administration), ADM (city), additional deputy commissioner of police and chief executive officer of Kashi Vishwanath temple also took part in the survey.

On the request of the advocate commissioner, adequate lighting arrangements were made while videographer and photographer from the information department, draftsman of Varanasi Development Authority, land revenue department staff and labourers were also arranged to assist the survey team.

Commissioner of police A Satish Ganesh said that apart from increasing police force, the security plan was also revised to ensure that pilgrims, who thronged Kashi to offer prayer at Kashi Vishwanath temple, faced no problem in reaching the temple.

 In a petition filed by Rakhi Singh of Delhi and Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas and Rekha Pathak, all natives of Varanasi, on April 18, 2021 to seek permission for daily worship and performing rituals at the idols of Shringar Gauri in Gyanvapi and stopping the opponents from causing any damage to the statues, civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar had ordered the survey of Gyanvapi premises by appointing advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra.

Mishra started the survey on May 6 and covered the exterior of the mosque. After that, the survey was stalled as Anjuman Intezamia Masjid (AIM), which filed an objection before court claiming that the advocate commissioner appointed by the court for the survey, did not have the mandate to film inside. AIM demanded changing Mishra as advocate commissioner for his role to support the Hindu petitioners.

However, the court on May 12 not only rejected the request of the AIM for changing Mishra as the advocate commissioner, but also appointed a special advocate commissioner and an assistant advocate commissioner to assist him. The court also strictly directed the district administration to ensure that the survey was not delayed for any reason or obstructions so that its report is submitted by May 17 positively.

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__Inputs from TNN.