Gyanvapi mosque: Day 1 of survey concludes, Videography to continue tomorrow

New Delhi: Amid heavy police presence outside the Gyanvapi mosque, the videography survey of the masjid complex took place today, as per the Varanasi court order. Around 36 people including the Advocate Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra along with 2 commissioners and petitioners and all parties were present for the survey.

All the stakeholders reached the Gyanvapi masjid today morning at 8 AM and took part in the videography survey that lasted four hours. Reports suggested that sanitation workers & snake charmers were also called in to participate in the survey. A total of 4 cellars and 3-4 rooms were opened and scanned with cameras in battery light. The keys were made available for survey and no need arose for breaking the locks.

However, what lies inside those cellars remains a mystery. The Hindu petitioners have reiterated about its claims of temple remains inside the mosque, however, the same has been vehemently countered by Muslim petitioners.

When the lawyers coming out of the Gyanvapi premises were queried about videography, they refrained from disclosing the details but said that videography will continue tomorrow. The court has set May 17 deadline for submitting a complete report on findings of the Videography survey of the mosque.

Varanasi Police Commissioner confirmed that survey will resume tomorrow and adequate security will be provided for. Today, about 1 km periphery of the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex was out of bounds for public to ensure smooth survey of the masjid.

The survey was about to happen last week but it was stalled by mosque committee members & members from the community who objected to the survey inside the premises. The committee levelled bias charge against Court Commissioner, following which the court heard the matter again. In its searing observations, the court asked the surveying team to submit report by May 17 and directed officials to break the lock if keys not available.