4 hours agoAuthor: Devanshu Tiwari
Today 288 days have passed since Shringar Gauri case. On August 17, 2021, five women reached the court. Said that we have to worship our mother goddess everyday. The court accepted the petition on 18. Since then five surveys were conducted in the Gyanvapi complex and then the matter got entangled between the Shivling and the fountain.
The court commissioner who conducted the survey was removed. Hearing in the case was postponed 13 times amid heavy uproar. Now the 14th hearing is to be held on 4th July i.e. after 33 days. We have kept every important thing of this matter here and also have to know from Supreme Court lawyer Shashwat Anand that what will happen now?
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August 18, 2021: 5 women of Banaras said that Gyanvapi is our goddess in the mosque
The hearing on the Shringar Gauri case was held for the first time in the Civil Court of Varanasi. This case was filed by Rakhi, Lakshmi, Sita, Manju and Rekha. Demanded that daily darshan and worship should be allowed in the temple of our adorable Goddess Maa Shringar Gauri in the Gyanvapi complex. Civil Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar heard the arguments of the women in the hearing and passed 3 orders.
- first: A commission of lawyers should be made to know the condition of the temple.
- another: Advocate commissioner should be appointed.
- third: The case should be heard within three days. During the hearing, the court also issued notice to the Masjid side. But the disputed premises could not be inspected for 8 months due to the court commissioner going on the back foot twice.
This picture is of Manju, Rekha, Lakshmi and Sita who reached the court demanding the darshan of Shringar Gauri. Rakhi, the fifth woman in this case, lives in Delhi, who is not in this photo.
8 April 2022: Survey orders for the first time to find the place of Shringar Gauri temple
The hearing of the Shringar Gauri case was held again in the civil court. Civil Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, while reiterating the August 18 hearing order, appointed advocate Ajay Kumar Mishra as the court commissioner. The court ordered the survey and videography of the Gyanvapi campus after 11 days i.e. on 19th April. But on April 18, the district administration filed an application to stop the survey citing security reasons.
April 19, 2022: Despite the uproar from the Muslim side, the court reserved the verdict
The third hearing on the Shringar Gauri case was held in the Varanasi Civil Court. There was a heated argument between Varanasi Police-District Administration, Masjid Committee and Wadi Shringar Gauri. The arguments of all the parties were heard. But Civil Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, while reserving his order, fixed the next hearing of the case on 26 April 2022.
26 April 2022: Muslim side said advocate commissioner is cheating
The case of Shringar Gauri was on the doorstep of the civil court for the fourth time. This time the court gave a big decision, continuing all its old orders. While pronouncing the verdict, the judge said, ‘Survey should be prepared in the disputed premises. Eid is on 3rd May, so survey and videography should be done on 6th May.
The Muslim side strongly opposed the survey conducted on May 6, 7 in the Gyanvapi campus. The Muslims said that the Advocate Commissioner is doing the survey as a party like the plaintiff, which is wrong. Due to this the survey work was stopped midway and the matter again went to the court.
This picture is from May 6. When the commission for the survey reached the Gyanvapi campus, the Muslim side raised slogans against it. During this, a woman started offering Namaz sitting on the road.
9 May 2022: The five women said that the survey of the mosque should be done again to bring out the truth
The Shringar Gauri case was heard for the fifth time in the court. During the hearing, the plaintiffs said, “The Advocate Commissioner is doing his job properly. The respondent is making baseless allegations against him for obstructing the survey. Therefore, the survey should be allowed again inside Gyanvapi.
May 10, 2022: Masjid committee sought two days’ time to make its point
There was an argument for 90 minutes between the lawyers of both the sides in the court. In the meantime, the lawyers presented their arguments on the replacement of the Advocate Commissioner and the survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid. During the hearing, the Masjid Committee sought time till May 11 to give some more facts along with preparation. On this, the court fixed May 12 for hearing.
12 May 2022: Court said – survey will be done again, whether by opening the lock or breaking it
During the hearing, the court said that the survey of Gyanvapi Masjid will be done again. Advocate Commissioner Ajay Mishra will also not move. The court sought the survey report on May 17. It was also said that whether the survey is done by opening the lock or breaking the lock, it should not be stopped.
After this, survey action was taken on 14, 15 and 16 in Gyanvapi campus. On May 16, a solid structure like Shivling was found in the Gyanvapi complex. After this, the Varanasi court ordered the DM to immediately seal the place where the Shivling was found.
This picture is of 16th May when the third day survey was being done in Gyanvapi campus. During this, the local police had made a security cordon 500 meters before the disputed place.
17 May 2022: Court commissioner Ajay Mishra removed
Due to non-preparation of the survey report, the lawyer commissioner sought two days’ time from the Varanasi court. The court gave two days’ time. During this, the court commissioner Ajay Mishra was removed. In the evening of the same day, the Supreme Court said that the Shivling found in the disputed complex should be protected, but the worshipers should not be stopped from offering Namaz. The court fixed May 19 as the next date of hearing.
19 May 2022: The commissioner presented the survey report before the court
The survey team at Gyanvapi campus submitted its report to the civil court. But the decision could not be taken during the hearing. Because the Supreme Court asked the lower court not to hear the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri case further until it hears the matter on May 20. The Varanasi court fixed the matter for hearing on May 23.
This picture is from May 19. On this day, Special Advocate Commissioner Vishal Singh presented the survey report of Gyanvapi on May 14, 15 and 16 in the court.
23 May 2022: Court heard the matter for 2 hours, then extended the date
The hearing was held in the court of District Judge Dr. Ajay Krishna Vishwesh in the Gyanvapi-Sringar Gauri case. The District Judge heard the arguments of both the parties. After hearing that lasted for about 2 hours, the court reserved the decision in this matter till May 24.
24 May 2022: Court asked both the parties to give their justification in a week
Varanasi District Judge Ajay Kumar Vishvesh said that the matter will now be heard on the order 7 and rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure i.e. CPC i.e. maintainability of the suit. The next date of hearing has been fixed for May 26. The court asked both the parties to file objections on Gyanvapi’s survey report within a week.
This picture is from 24th May. When the litigants of the Shringar Gauri case were talking to the media after the hearing in the Civil Court of Varanasi.
26 May 2022: 1 hour vigorous debate in the mosque-temple side
For the 12th time, the Gyanvapi-Sringar Gauri case was in the civil court. The two sides argued vigorously for an hour. The Muslim side said that the matter was in violation of the Religious Places Act of 1991. Therefore, there should be no further hearing on this. But the plaintiff side opposed it. The court heard both the sides and fixed the matter for hearing on May 30.
30 May 2022: Muslim side took 2 hours to present its arguments, now hearing after 33 days
In the civil court, the lawyers of Anjuman Insanjariya Masajid Committee argued for 2 hours to end the Shringar Gauri case. During this, after the video report of the survey was leaked in the court, the four plaintiffs surrendered the sealed envelopes in the court as evidence. But the district court refused to withdraw it. After hearing all the objections of the respondent, District Judge Dr. Ajay Kumar Vishvesh extended the next date of hearing to July 4. In the next hearing, after completion of the arguments of the Muslim side, Shringar Gauri side will present its arguments.
These are the four sealed envelopes attached to the video report of the survey, which the Hindu side wanted to surrender in the district court on May 30.
Here the details of the hearings are completed.
Now we know what Supreme Court lawyer Shashwat Anand has to say on its future.
Cases like the Shringar Gauri case drag on for 15 years
Be it the makeup of Gauri or Mathura Krishna Janmabhoomi. The hearings on such cases can never end. Because in such a case, seeing that the edge is weakening, some party puts its new application. This makes it difficult for the courts to predict the outcome of such cases and such cases drag on for 15-15 years. The Shringar Gauri case is also not going to end yet. This will take another 10 years.
Mathura In 1968, in the dispute of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi and Shahi Idgah Masjid, there was an agreement to divide the land into two parts. But now the files of this case have been opened again.
The Shringar Gauri case is completely different from the Ayodhya case. In the Ayodhya case, the Supreme Court had given land to the Muslim side to build a mosque at another place. After this, the way for the construction of Ram temple was cleared. But the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri case is completely different from this. There are 2 big reasons behind this. First, there was no concrete structure in the Ayodhya case. But the entire mosque in Varanasi is standing in its place. Therefore, it is very difficult from the point of view of law to replace it. Second- The Ayodhya case was outside the Religious Places Act of 1991 and the Shringar Gauri case comes under this law.
The issue of the 1991 Act is still pending. Therefore, until the issue of this law is not resolved, the result of Shringar Gauri case is difficult to come.
Supreme Court’s way is open for both sides
If the decision comes against any party, then he will first challenge it in the High Court. Like in the Ayodhya case. If both the parties are not satisfied with the decision of the High Court, then it will be placed before the Supreme Court. So this fight can get long.