Gyanvapi Cases: In setback to Muslim side, Allahabad HC rules Hindus seeking temple not barred by Places of Worship Act

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday ruled that civil suits filed by Hindu worshippers and deity inter alia seeking restoration of a temple at the Gyanvapi Mosque premises are not barred by the Places of Worship Act, rejecting the challenges pointed out by the Masjid Committee. The ruling by the Allahabad High Court comes as a huge setback to the Muslim side contesting the case. The Allahabad High Court also asked a Varanasi court to complete hearing in the matter within six months. “In the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi land title dispute cases, the Allahabad High Court today upheld that a batch of petitions including a plea challenging a 1991 civil suit filed by Hindu worshippers seeking the right to worship in the Gyanvapi mosque and a petition against the Varanasi Court’s ASI survey order of 2021 are not barred….” The three petitions were related to the maintainability of the case filed in the Varanasi court in 1991, while the remaining two applications were filed against the survey order of ASI. In the case filed in Varanasi court in 1991 on behalf of the litigation friends of Lord Adi Vishweshwar Virama, there was a demand to hand over the disputed premises to Hindus and to allow worship there. In the year 1991, cases were filed in Varanasi court on behalf of Somnath Vyas, Ramnarayan Sharma and Harihar Pandey. The Muslim side argued that the Places of Worship Act of 1991 Adi Vishweshwar’s case cannot be heard under this, It was argued from the Hindu side that this dispute was before independence, and, the Places of Worship Act will not be applicable in the Gyanvapi dispute.