Judge who ordered Gyanvapi filming gets threat letter, cops register case

New Delhi, Jun 10: The police have registered a case over a threat letter received by the judge who ordered the filming of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

The police registered the case based on a complaint by an order of the Varanasi civil judge, Ravi Kumar Diwaker. He informed the Varanasi administration that he had received a threat letter purportedly written by one Kashif Ahmed Siddiqui of the Islamic Agaz Movement.

The letter refers to the filming of the Mosque that the judge had ordered on April 26. Five women petitioners had sought access to a shrine behind the Mosque. The woman said that there are idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in the Mosque complex.

"You have made a statement that inspection of the Gyanvapi Masjid complex is a normal process. You are an idol worshipper, you will declare the mosque a temple. No Muslim can expect the right decision from a 'kafir, murtipujak' Hindu judge," the letter read.

Following the filming report submitted to the judge on May 19, the lawyers for the petitioners said that the Mosque houses a 'Shivling.' This claim was however disputed by the Mosque committee members who said that the structure was part of a fountain in the 'wazookhana' used by devotees to perform ablutions before offering namaz.

The Supreme Court had transferred the case from the civil judge Ravi Kumar to the district judge, A K Vishvesh on May 20 after taking into account the complexities and sensitivity of the issue.