The Archaeological Survey of India has sought three more weeks time from the Varanasi district court to submit the scientific survey report of the Gyanvapi mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi. The court is scheduled to hear ASI’s plea at around 2 pm.

The extensive survey, spanning a duration of 100 days, concluded nearly a month ago and the ASI had sought extra time to file its report. The last extension was on November 18, when the ASI asked for another 15 days. The court had allowed it 10 days.

Also Read: ASI gets 10 more days to submit survey report of Gyanvapi mosque complex

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi survey case said, “ASI has asked three weeks time. They are not submitting the report today. The reason will be clear after the hearing in court at 2pm today.”

The survey was ordered by a Varanasi court on July 21, following a petition by four women who sought permission to pray at the Shringar Gauri Shrine which is behind the western wall of the temple. The Wuzukhana area, which has been sealed by the orders of the Supreme Court, has been left out of the survey.

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In compliance with that order, the ASI conducted the survey for over four-and-a-half hours on July 24 after which the Supreme Court on the same day halted the exercise till 5 pm on July 26 and granted liberty to the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC) to approach the Allahabad high court.

When the mosque committee moved the high court on July 25, it extended the stay on the survey. The high court gave its ruling on August 3 and allowed the exercise to go ahead. The AIMC moved the Supreme Court against the high court order, but the top court refused to stay the survey on August 4.

The Gyanvapi mosque’s scientific survey resumed amid tight security on August 4 after the Allahabad high court on August 3 vacated a stay and gave the go-ahead for the exercise. The Varanasi court had initially ordered the survey on July 21 and asked for submission of the report by August 4.

Also Read: ASI resumes work on scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque premises in Varanasi

Hearing an ASI application on October 5, the court granted four more weeks to complete the survey and submit the report.

On November 2, the court granted 15 days’ time to the ASI, directing it to submit the report by November 17.