A Brief Timeline Of The Gyanvapi Case As Varanasi Court Decides To Continue With Hearings

Giving hope to Hindus in the Gyanvapi case, the Varanasi district court on Monday (12 September) said that it would continue to hear the petition seeking the right to worship in the temple.

District Judge A K Vishvesh rejected the plea questioning the maintainability of a petition seeking permission for daily worship of Hindu deities whose idols are located on an outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque.

Here's a brief timeline of the case:

12 September: The court held that the plea of the Hindu side is maintainable.

24 August: Judgement in the case was reserved by the district judge.

22 August: The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee presented its rejoinder in support of its claim that the Gyanvapi Masjid is a Waqf property.

21 July: The Supreme Court listed the appeal of the Gyanvapi mosque committee's plea against the Allahabad High Court order upholding the appointment of a court commissioner to survey the site for a hearing on 20 October.

15 July: Hindu plaintiffs submitted that the Shivling claimed to have been found there during a videography survey was worshipped for centuries but later hidden.

14 July: The Hindu side argued in the district court that the Gyanvapi mosque complex is not the property of the Waqf Board.

13 July: The Hindu side argued the Places of Worship Act 1991 does not apply in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex case.

12 July: The Muslim side completed its arguments on the maintainability in the case.

7 June: Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar who had ordered the video survey informed the Uttar Pradesh authorities that he had received a hand-written threat letter.

30 May: The Muslim side argued that the Hindus' plea is not maintainable as the Places of Worship Act 1991 prohibits conversion of any place of worship and mandates the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on 15 August 1947.

25 May: The district court transferred a petition seeking permission to worship a Shivling claimed to have been found in the Gyanvapi complex during a videography survey to a fast-track court.

23 May: The Varanasi district court started hearing the case on Supreme Court's order.

20 May: The Supreme Court transferred the civil suit filed by Hindu devotees on Gyanvapi mosque from civil judge (senior division) to district judge.

19 May: The videography survey report was submitted to the Varanasi court in a sealed cover.

17 May: The Supreme Court directed the District Magistrate of Varanasi to ensure protection of area inside the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex where Shivling was said to be found in the survey and allowed Muslims to offer namaz.

16 May: On the last day of the survey, a “structure” located in the middle of the wazookhana pond was found. The Hindu side claimed it to be a Shivling, while the mosque committee members said it was part of the water fountain mechanism.

15 May: 65 per cent of the survey work was completed till day two.

14 May: The videography survey began amid tight security.

13 May: The Supreme Court refused to grant an interim order of status quo on the survey.

7 May: A court commissioner's team failed to conduct the video-survey of the mosque due to a protest by Muslim men.

26 April: The court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) of Varanasi, Ravi Kumar Diwakar, had asked the survey and videography to be completed after Eid and before 10 May.

21 April: The Allahabad High Court dismissed the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid's plea challenging a Varanasi court's order to appoint an advocate as a court commissioner to inspect the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir-Gyanvapi Masjid complex.