Supreme Court sets up bench to hear Gyanvapi mosque case tomorrow

 

The top court, in May, had asked the Varanasi district magistrate to secure the area where a Shivling was claimed to have been found during a videographic survey of the mosque area without impeding or restricting the rights of Muslims to access and offer namaz at the mosque.

The Supreme Court Thursday decided to set up a bench tomorrow to hear the Gyanvapi mosque case, a day before its order to seal the area where a Shivling-like structure was reportedly found ceases to be in force.

The top court, in May, had asked the Varanasi district magistrate to secure the area where a Shivling was claimed to have been found during a videographic survey of the mosque area without impeding or restricting the rights of Muslims to access and offer namaz at the mosque.

The bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and P S Narasimha, hearing an appeal by the Committee of Management of Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, Varanasi, said that there was lack of clarity on whether the trial court, in its May 16 order, had directed only protection of the Shivling or had also granted the other reliefs sought – to restrict to 20 the number of Muslims who can enter the mosque and offer namaz, and to stop the use of the wazu khana for ablution.