Supreme Court To Hear Petition Seeking Carbon Dating Of Shivling In Gyanvyapi On July 21

A new petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust Board to take possession of Shri Mahadeo Shivling which was discovered on May 16 during the survey and to allow Respondent to restore the Pooja and Worship of the Shivling.

The petition was mentioned today before the bench of Chief Justice N. V. Ramana, Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Hima Kohli, who agreed to list this petition along with the batch of pending petitions filed by Anjuman-e-Intezamia Masjid Committee which are slated to come for hearing on July 21.

The petition filed by Amita Sachdeva and 6 other female petitioners through Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain seeks a direction to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct Carbon Dating of the Shivling.

The Petitioners have also sought directions to the ASI to conduct an appropriate survey or undertake Ground Penetrating Radar or excavation to find out the nature of the construction beneath. It is also sought that live streaming be done to facilitate the people to have virtual darshan.

The Supreme Court had on the petition filed by the Committee of Management, Anjuman-e-Intezamia Masjid passed an order directing the police and the District Magistrate to protect the area where the Shivling was found in the Gyanvapi Mosque. The Court on the last hearing also asked the District Magistrate to ensure that alternate arrangements are to be made to practice 'wuzu'.

The bench comprising of Justice D. Y. Chandrachud, Justice Surya Kant and Justice P. S. Narasimha had transferred the matter from the Civil Judge Senior Division, Varanasi to District Judge, Varanasi.

The Court had in the previous order stated that "Having regard to the complexity and sensitivity we are of the view that the Civil Suit before the Civil Judge Varanasi should be tried before a senior and experienced judicial officer. We order and direct that it shall be transferred to the District Judge for trial and all ancillary proceeding should be addressed to District Judge." The Court had also stated that the interim order of the Court shall be operational for a period of 8 weeks and the District Judge would hear the matter regarding Order 7 Rule 11 on priority.

The Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court filed by the Committee of Management of Anjuman-e-Intezamia Masjid Varanasi challenges the order passed by Allahabad High Court dismissing a challenge to the Varanasi District Court's order appointing Advocate Commissioner for conducting a video survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex.