Gyanvapi Case: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will file a reply in Allahabad High Court on Wednesday over the demand for carbon dating of alleged Shivling recovered from the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
The high court in the last hearing had asked the archeological body to file a reply within two weeks. The high court had asked ASI whether carbon dating can be done without causing damage to the structure. Earlier, apprehensions were expressed that the alleged Shivling might get damaged by carbon dating.
A petition has been filed in the high court demanding a scientific survey of the alleged Shivling which the Hindu side claims was there before the mosque. Notably, The Hindu side had filed a petition against the lower court’s decision which did not allow to proceed with carbon dating of the alleged Shivling.
Varanasi District Judge had dismissed the application demanding carbon dating on October 14, 2022. The petitioners have challenged the dismissal by the judge in the high court.
A Civil revision has been filed on behalf of petitioners Lakshmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas and Rekha Pathak.
On October 14, Varanasi District Judge A K Vishvesh had turned down the plea seeking scientific investigation and carbon dating of the ‘Shivling’, 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 ‘Shivling’. Then the ASI’s counsel said that there are more ways to determine the age and no damages could be caused.
On behalf of the Anjuman Intezamia Committee which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, it was said that a ‘vakalatnama’ has to be filed in the meantime. ‘Vakalatnama’ is a written document signed by a client to allow his advocate to plead a case in a court on behalf of him.
Four of the five Hindu parties had sought carbon dating of the ‘Shivling’ found during a court-mandated videography survey of the mosque premises close to the “wazookhana”, a small reservoir used by Muslim devotees 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 ‘Shivling’ discovered on May 16, 2022.