close_game
close_game

HC reserves order on plea against decision to allow worship in Gyanvapi mosque cellar

ByJItendra Sarin
Feb 15, 2024 10:27 PM IST

The appeal before the HC was filed by Anjuman Intezamia Mosque Committee on Feb 1 soon after the SC refused to urgently hear the committee’s plea against the order allowing puja in the southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque

PRAYAGRAJ The Allahabad high court on Thursday reserved its judgment on the Gyanvapi mosque committee’s appeal challenging the Varanasi district judge’s order dated January 31, 2024, by which he allowed ‘puja’ in Vyas Tehkhana (southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque).

A bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal reserved the judgment after hearing both parties in four days (File Photo)
A bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal reserved the judgment after hearing both parties in four days (File Photo)

A bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal reserved the judgment after hearing both parties in four days. Advocate-general Ajay Kumar Misra appeared for the state.

The appeal before the high court was filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Mosque Committee, which manages the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, on February 1 soon after the Supreme Court refused to urgently hear the mosque committee’s plea against the order allowing puja in the southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque.

It has been the stand of the committee that the Vyas tehkhana was under their possession being a part of the mosque premises and that the Vyas family or anyone else did not have any right to worship inside the cellar.

Counsel for the mosque committee, senior advocate SFA Naqvi and Punit Kumar Gupta, argued that since 1993 there had been no puja in the tehkhana and hence, if after 30 years, the court was appointing a receiver and changing the status quo, there should have been some cogent reason behind the decision. It was also submitted that the Hindu Plaintiff was never in possession of the Vyas Tehkhana, and the question about the possession can only be decided after framing of issues.

On the other hand, the counsel for the Hindu plaintiff, advocate Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain supported the January 31 order of the Varanasi district judge by stating that their first prayer (for appointment of a receiver) was allowed on January 17, however, due to some omission, the second prayer (for the performance of prayers inside Vyas Tehkhana) was not allowed, so when they requested the district judge to allow the second prayer too, he allowed the same on January 31 by invoking powers under Section 152 of civil procedure code.

As claimed by the Hindu side, until 1993, the Vyas family reportedly conducted religious ceremonies in the basement. However, in compliance with a directive from the state government, the religious practices were discontinued.

On January 31, the district judge paved way for the worship of Hindu deities inside the Vyas Tehkhana by allowing an application in the suit filed by plaintiff Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas seeking worship of Shringar Gauri and other visible and invisible deities in the cellar of Gyanvapi mosque and for the appointment of the district magistrate as the receiver of the cellar in the southern side of mosque (Vyas Ji ka Tehkhana).

The Varanasi district administration had taken possession of the southern cellar within the Gyanvapi mosque complex on January 24, after the district judge made the DM a receiver of the property on January 17. Challenging that order, the mosque committee moved the high court.

rec-icon Recommended Topics
Share this article
See More
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Saturday, February 08, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On