Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court on Monday adjourned till Aug 24, the hearing of the case wherein an ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque’s wuzukhana (ablution pond) area – excluding the structure described by the Hindu side as a ‘Shivling’ and the Muslim side as a fountain – has been sought.Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal is hearing the civil revision petition filed by Rakhi Singh, one of the plaintiffs before a Varanasi court.Advocates Saurabh Tiwari along with Amit Shukla and Vikash Kumar appeared for Rakhi Singh while Vineet Sankalp appeared for Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir Trust.Appearing for another respondent, Anjum Intazamia Masjid Committee, Varanasi, its counsel Syed Ahmed Faizan informed the high court that the matter is engaging the attention of the Supreme Court and the next date fixed in the matter is Aug 10, 2026.The court deferred the proceedings of the case and directed that the case be listed for Aug 24, 2026, along with connected matters for the next hearing.Earlier, at one stage, the court had directed the petitioner’s counsel to file supplementary affidavit bringing on record the application moved by one of the plaintiffs, Laxmi Devi, for the scientific investigation/survey of the protected area, which was decided by the apex court in 2023.The above order was passed in a civil revision petition filed by Rakhi Singh, one of the plaintiffs before the Varanasi counter. The revision was filed challenging the Varanasi district judge’s order dated Oct 21, 2023, refusing to direct the Archeological Survey of India to undertake a survey of the wuzukhana area except for the ‘Shivling’ inside the Gyanvapi Mosque.
