Allahabad HC judge recuses himself in Gyanvapi wuzukhana case

Prayagraj, Jan 25: Justice Manish Kumar Nigam of the Allahabad High Court has recused himself from hearing a civil revision petition challenging the Varanasi district judge’s order dated October 21, 2023.

Through the October order, it had refused to direct ASI to do a survey of the wuzukhana area excluding the ‘Shivling’ inside the Gyanvapi compound, located adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temple in VaranasiJustice Nigam recused himself on Wednesday without citing any reason.

The matter will now be listed before another bench and is likely to come up for hearing by end of this month.

The civil revision petition was moved by Rakhi Singh. She is the plaintiff No 1 in the Shringar Gauri worshipping suit 2022, pending before Varanasi district court.

In her plea -- which was rejected -- the contention raised was that the survey of the wuzukhana (ablution pond), excluding the ‘Shivling’, was necessary to ascertain the religious character of the property (the Gyanvapi precincts).