Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath case: SC hears plea against Allahabad HC order on determining age of ‘Shivling’ tomorrow
The Supreme Court will hold a plea against the Allahabad High Court order tomorrow. The plea challenges Allahabad HC’s order to conduct a ‘scientific investigation’, including radiocarbon dating, to determine the age of a ‘Shivling’ allegedly found in the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala took note of the submissions of senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, who appeared before the management committee of Gyanvapi Mosque, and agreed to list the plea for hearing tomorrow.
“The Allahabad High Court has issued an order pending the appeal,” said the senior lawyer.
The Allahabad High Court on May 12 ordered the determination of the age of the structure alleged to be Shivling in Gyanvapi Mosque using modern technology. The HC noted in its order that ASI should perform the carbon dating without damaging or harming the structure. Carbon dating is a method of calculating the age of very old objects by measuring the amounts of different forms of carbon in them.
The Hindu petitioners claimed that the object in Gyanvapi Mosque was a ‘Shivling’, while the claim was contested by the Muslim side saying that the object was part of a ‘fountain’.
The HC also overturned an October 14 order from the District Court of Varanasi rejecting a plea for scientific examination, including radiocarbon dating, of the structure found in May 2022 during a court-ordered investigation of the mosque next to the Kashi Vishwanath- Temple.
The Supreme Court ordered the District Judge of Varanasi to proceed with the request of the Hindu worshipers to carry out a scientific inquiry on the ‘Shivling’ in accordance with the law.
(With input from agencies)