Gynvapi: SC intervenes; hearing gets posted to 23rd

Varanasi: After Supreme Court's sudden intervention on Thursday, directing the Varanasi court not to proceed with the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri case till Friday, the lower court posted a further hearing on the matter to May 23, PTI reported.

Advocate Madan Mohan Yadav, who represents the Hindu side, said that both the parties submitted their objections and counter objections on Thursday.

There were two petitions to be heard on the Gyanvapi case on Wednesday, but a lawyers' strike over another issue resulted in postponing it. The Banaras Bar Associations and the Central Bar Association called for the strike.

Three women from the Hindu community, Rekha Pathak, Manju Vyas, and Sita Sahu had filed a plea in the court on Tuesday, saying that there is a basement in the wall on the east side of the place where a Shivling is situated, which has been sealed with brick, stone and cement, while the basement in front of the face of Nandi is covered with brick stone sand, bamboo debris. The plea demanded the court to direct the team it appointed to remove the sealings. Also, they demanded the court to order the commission to record the length, width and height of the Shivling.

The court had allowed the petition and posted it for hearing on Wednesday.

The second petition, filed on Thursday on behalf of District Government Advocate Mahendra Pandey, demanded the removal of fish from the water of a man-made pond inside the mosque's premises. It also asked demanded to shift the "wazoo khana" pipeline.