Gyanvapi Row: Allahabad HC To Hear Revision Plea Seeking Carbon Dating Of Shivalinga On 30 November

The Allahabad High Court on Monday fixed 30 November as the date for hearing a revision petition challenging the Varanasi district judge's order by which the lower court had refused the demand of carbon dating of the Shivalinga that was found in the Gyanvapi complex.

Justice J J Munir passed the order on the revision plea filed by Laxmi Devi and others.

On 14 October, Varanasi District Judge A K Vishvesh had turned down the plea seeking scientific investigation and carbon dating of the Shivalinga, citing Supreme Court directives for its safe keeping so that no tampering can be done.

When the matter was taken up in the high court on Monday, counsel for Archaeological Survey of India submitted that an application has been moved for extension of time for the survey.

However, the court commented that there should be no damage to the Shivalinga. Then the ASI's counsel said that there are more ways to determine the age and no damages could be caused.

Four of the five Hindu parties had sought carbon dating of the Shivalinga found during a court-mandated videography survey of the mosque premises close to the 'wazookhana', a small reservoir used by Muslims to perform ritual ablutions before offering Namaz.

The revision petition has sought appropriate survey or excavation to find out the nature of construction beneath the Shivalinga.

With inputs from PTI.