The Varanasi district judge overseeing the Gyanvapi case has announced that only a physical copy of the survey report from the Archaeological Survey of India will be provided to the involved parties. The report will not be released to the public or distributed in digital format to prevent any potential distortion on social media. It is anticipated that the report will be made available to the public in approximately a week.
The decision was taken considering the delicate nature of the case, particularly given the timing. Gyanvapi is among the many temple-mosque conflicts that have arisen in the country following the Ayodhya Ram Janambhoomi issue.
The Ram temple in Ayodha was officially declared sacred on Monday, approximately five years after the contentious site was granted for temple construction by the Supreme Court.
The Gyanvapi report was submitted to the Varanasi court in a sealed envelope around a month back.
The report is essential for the case's decision, as the Hindu party argues that the mosque was constructed on a temple and seeks the authority to worship.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been carrying out a survey on the Gyanvapi mosque premises since August 4 of the previous year. The survey has excluded the Wuzukhana area, as it was sealed by the Supreme Court's order.
The ASI submitted the report after receiving several deadline extensions from the court, which had mandated the survey on July 21st.
The directive was issued after four women filed a petition, asserting that it was necessary to establish whether the historic mosque was constructed by demolishing a Hindu temple.
In April of the previous year, the court mandated a video inspection of the compound in response to a petition. The inspection, carried out in May, uncovered a formation in the Wuzukhana that the petitioners alleged to be a 'shivling'.
