“The court dismissed the petition of the Muslim side and held that the trial was maintainable. The next hearing of the matter is on September 22,” said advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side in the matter.
In this case petitioner Sohan Lal Arya said, “This is a victory for the Hindu community… It is the foundation stone of the Gyanvapi temple. Appeal to the people to maintain peace.”
The petition was filed by five women seeking permission for daily worship of Hindu deities whose idols are claimed to be located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque. The Anjuman Intejamiya Masjid Committee said that the Gyanvapi Masjid is a Waqf property and questioned the maintainability of the petition.
District Judge AK Vishvesh had last month reserved the verdict in the communally sensitive case till September 12.
Madan Mohan Yadav, the lawyer for the Hindu side, had claimed that the mosque was constructed by demolishing the temple. The district court is hearing the matter after the order of the top court.
Earlier, a trial court had ordered a videographic survey of the premises. The survey work was completed on 16 May and the report was presented in the court on 19 May.
The Hindu side had claimed in the trial court that a Shivling was found during a videographic survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid-Shringar Gauri complex, but the Muslim side opposed it.
(with inputs from agencies)