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KV-Gyanvapi case: Allahabad HC grants 10 days to ASI to file reply
The permission was granted subject to payment of ₹10,000 to the Legal Services Committee, Allahabad, on or before October 31
The Allahabad high court on Tuesday, as a last opportunity, granted 10 more days to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to file a counter affidavit (reply) in the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque case.
The permission was granted subject to payment of ₹10,000 to the Legal Services Committee, Allahabad. The aforesaid amount must be deposited on or before October 31—the next date of hearing in the case. The above cost of ₹10,000 was imposed as the ASI failed to file its response in spite of several opportunities given to it earlier.
Justice Prakash Padia passed the order on a petition filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC) that manages Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque. The petitioner, AIMC, the management committee of the Gyanvapi mosque of Varanasi, and others had filed the petition challenging the maintainability of an original suit filed in 1991 in the Varanasi district court.
On the request of the ASI to grant some time to file the counter affidavit, the court observed, “The matter is taken up again as a prayer has been made by Sri Shashi Prakash Singh, Senior Counsel/Assistant Solicitor General of India assisted by Sri Manoj Kumar Singh, learned counsel for Archaeological Survey of India / respondent No.7 to grant at least six weeks’ time to file counter affidavit. Since the civil suit is pending before the civil court Varanasi is of 1991, in the interest of justice, as a last opportunity, ten days further time is granted to file counter affidavit subject to payment of ₹10,000 in the Legal Services Committee, Allahabad.”
On September 28, the high court had extended the interim stay till October 31 on a Varanasi court order directing the ASI to conduct a survey at the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex and further proceedings in this case.
The original suit sought restoration of the ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque currently stands. The petitioners claimed in the suit that the mosque is a part of the temple.
Earlier, Justice Padia had directed the director-general, ASI, New Delhi, to file his personal affidavit in the case within 10 days as the counter affidavit filed by the ASI was “very sketchy” and the matter was of “national importance”.
