Gyanvapi survey to continue, Varanasi Court orders report by May 17

A Varanasi court on Thursday ordered the completion of the Gyanvapi mosque survey and the presentation of report by May 17. The video inspection of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, will continue. The court has ordered the survey of entire Gyanvapi complex. The survey of mosque and its basement will be conducted, Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, one of the lawyers of of the petitioners said. The court also appointed a second court commissioner, Vishal Kumar Singh, along with Ajay Mishra.The court rejected the Anzuman Intezamia Masajid Committee's petition seeking the removal of the advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra. The survey includes the videography and the inspection of the Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal and adjacent Gyanvapi mosque premises. Last Friday, a court-appointed committee was blocked from carrying out survey and videography of the mosque complex. The mosque administration and a group. Earlier, the Varanasi court had ordered the videographic survey on a plea by five Delhi-based women seeking permission to perform daily worship of Hindu deities whose idols are located on the outer wall of Gyanvapi Masjid. The site is currently opened for prayers once a year. The counsel for the mosque management committee (Anjuman Intezamiya Masajid) had contended that the court order was for videography till the courtyard outside the barricades enclosing the mosque area and not inside the mosque.