Gyanvapi mosque row: Court grants 2 days to submit report, commissioner removed

New Delhi, May 17: A Varanasi court on Tuesday removed Ajay Mishra, who was part of the commission that was tasked with a videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque. He was removed on the grounds of non-cooperation.

The court also granted two days extension for submitting a survey report by the commission on the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi where some Hindus have claimed worshipping rights.

The two others - Vishal Singh and Ajay Pratap - will continue as Court Commissioner and Deputy Court Commissioner respectively.

The Varanasi court directed the district administration to seal a spot in the Gyanvapi Masjid complex after counsels representing the Hindu petitioners said a Shivling was found Monday during a court-mandated videography survey.

The Hindu side claimed that the "Shivling" was found close to the "wazookhana"-a small reservoir used by Muslim devotees to perform ritual ablutions before offering the namaz.

The claimed finding on the last day of the survey reignited the mandir-masjid debate over the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex located close to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple.