The holy city of Varanasi remains tense ahead of the district court's order on Monday to decide the Gyanvapi issue with prohibitory orders clamped and security tightened in the city. The court will be deciding the maintainability of the plea in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri case.
District Judge AK Vishvesh had last month reserved the order till September 12 in the communally sensitive matter. Police Commissioner A Satish Ganesh said on Sunday that prohibitory orders have been issued in the Varanasi commissionerate and officers have been asked to interact with religious leaders in their respective areas to ensure that peace is maintained.
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To maintain law and order, he said, the entire city has been divided into sectors which have been allocated police force as per their requirement.Directives for flag march and foot march in sensitive areas have also been issued, he said. Checking has been intensified in the district's border areas, hotels and guest houses, while an eye is being also kept on social media.
Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri case: What happened so far
Five women had filed the petition seeking permission for daily worship of Hindu deities whose idols are said to be located on an outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque. The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee has said the Gyanvapi mosque is a Waqf property and has questioned the maintainability of the plea.
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Madan Mohan Yadav, a lawyer of the Hindu side, had said that the mosque was constructed after demolishing the temple.
The case is being heard by the district court following an apex court order.
Earlier, a lower court had ordered a videography survey of the complex. The survey work was completed on May 16 and the report was presented in the court on May 19.
The Hindu side had claimed in the lower court that a Shivling was found during the videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex but it was contested by the Muslim side.
The Supreme Court on May 20 transferred the civil suit filed by Hindu devotees on Gyanvapi mosque from civil judge (senior division) to district judge of Varanasi, citing complexities and sensitivity of the case and saying it is better for a senior judicial officer to handle it.
The apex court directed the district judge to first decide the application under Order 7 Rule 11 of CPC on maintainability filed by the Mosque committee saying the civil suit is barred by a law of Parliament.
(With inputs from PTI)
