SC to hear plea for clubbing of lawsuits pertaining to Gyanvapi mosque complex row on April 21

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to list for hearing on April 21 a plea of the Hindu side seeking consolidation of all suits filed in a Varanasi court pertaining to the Gyanvapi mosque complex rowA bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha and Justice J B Pardiwala took note of the submissions of lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain that the district judge of Varanasi has deferred five times the decision on a plea seeking clubbing of all civil suits pertaining to the disputeWe will list it for hearing on April 21 it saidThe top court on November 11 last year had extended till further orders the protection of the area where a shivling was claimed to have been found in Varanasis Gyanvapi mosque complexIt had also allowed the Hindu parties to move an application before the Varanasi district judge for consolidation of all lawsuits filed on the Gyanvapi mosqueShringar Gauri rowAlso Read Umesh Pal murder case SC dismisses Atiq Ahmads plea for protection in UP police custodyThe Supreme Court had also directed the Hindu parties to file their replies within three weeks on the appeal by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee challenging the Allahabad High Court order on the appointment of a survey commissionerOn May 17 last year the SC had passed an interim order directing the Varanasi district magistrate to ensure protection of the area inside the GyanvapiShringar Gauri complex where the structure claimed to be a shivling was found during a surveyThe mosque committee however maintained that the structure was part of the water fountain mechanism at the wazookhana reservoir where devotees perform ablutions before offering namazThe video survey was ordered by the court of the civil judge senior division in Varanasi The SC transferred the case to the district judge on May 20 last pointing at the iquestcomplexities and the sensitivity of the issue and saying that a more senior judicial officer should handle itIn its earlier May 17 last year order the top court had directed protection of the area around the claimed shivling while also allowing Muslims to offer namaz in the mosqueThe SC had said the interim order shall remain in operation till the maintainability of the suit is decided by the district judge and then for eight more weeks to allow the aggrieved parties to approach a higher courtThe Varanasi district judge is now hearing the plea by a group of women seeking permission for daily worship of idols of Hindu deities located on the mosques outer wall The Hindu side has also sought a survey of two locked basements in the mosque complexThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever