Gyanvapi Mosque case: Varanasi court dismisses Muslim's side plea; defers hearing till Dec 2

Varanasi, Nov 17: A Varanasi Court on Thursday dismissed the Anjuman Islamia Masjid committee's plea challenging the maintainability of a suit to hand over possession of the Gyanvapi Mosque premises to the Hindu side.

Hearing the petition on the plea seeking worship rights of the 'Shivling' that the Hindu side claimed to be found on the Gyanvapi mosque premises, judge Mahendra Kumar Pandey of Varanasi Fast Track Court passed the order holding it to be maintainable and posted the case for further hearing on December 2.

"Varanasi Court dismisses the plea filed by the Masjid committee challenging the maintainability of the suit in the Gyanvapi Mosque case. The next hearing is on December 1," ANI quoted Anupam Dwivedi, Advocate Hindu side, as saying.

Also, Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sanstha had also filed a separate petition after the alleged Shivling was found.

The petitions seeks the immediate beginning of prayer of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar, the handing over of the entire Gyanvapi complex to the Hindus, and banning the entry of Muslims inside the premises of the Gyanvapi complex, according to ANI.

However, the Muslim side has the permission to perform prayers in the premises till the matter is in court.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee and others had moved the petition challenging the maintainability of the original suit filed in the Varanasi district court in 1991.

The original suit sought the restoration of the 18th-century Kashi Vishwanath temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque currently stands. The petitioners claimed in the suit that the mosque was a part of the temple.

With inputs from agencies