VARANASI: Third day survey of Gyanvapi mosque by the advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra led team concluded peacefully after covering all three domes and main mosque area, where Namaj is performed, on Sunday.
Despite extending survey hours the advocate commissioner found the work as incomplete. He informed district administration that survey will continue on Monday morning.
Talking to TOI district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said that survey team left Gyanvapi campus after covering domes and main mosque area, where Namaj is performed, around 1.30 pm. The scheduled hours for survey was between 8 am and 12 noon. The survey team tried its best to complete the works by extending time but all their works could not complete even after 1 pm.
After it the advocate commissioner informed district administration that survey will continue on Monday to cover few parts of Gyanvapi, which could not be covered so far, said DM adding, survey team needs detailing of already surveyed areas including the basement in possession of Vyas family while area of pond for Vaju and some other parts will be surveyed on Monday. Officials expected that remaining works of survey will be completed in maximum two hours on Monday.
Earlier, the survey team of over 50 persons including advocate commissioner, both parties and their lawyers, officers of district administration and police, videographers, land revenue department staff and labourers entered the Gyanvapi premises at 8 am.
Commissioner of police A Satish Ganesh said that apart from increasing police force the security plan was also revised to ensure that pilgrims thronged Kashi to offer prayer at Kashi Vishwanath temple are facing no problem in reaching the temple, he said adding, except gate-4 of Kashi Vishwanath Dham (corridor) entry of pilgrims was allowed from all other three gates.
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 for survey of Gyanvapi by appointing advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra.
Advocate commissioner started survey on May 6 and covered external area of Gyanvapi mosque. After it the survey was stalled as the Anjuman Intejamia Masajid (AIM) filed objection before court claiming that the advocate commissioner appointed by the court for the survey did not have the mandate to film inside the premises. AIM demanded changing of advocate commissioner.
However, the court on May 12 not only rejected the request of the AIM for changing Mishra as the advocate commissioner, but also appointed Vishal Singh as special advocate commissioner and Ajay Pratap Singh as assistant advocate commissioner. The court also strictly directed the district administration to ensure that the survey was not delayed for any reason and its report is submitted by May 17.
