Allahabad HC rejects Muslim committee's plea in Gyanvapi Mosque case

Hyderabad: The Allahabad High Court has rejected a plea from the Muslim committee challenging the maintainability of a civil suit filed by five Hindu women seeking the right to worship inside Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque. This decision paves the way for the case to continue in the Varanasi court. In essence, the high court has dismissed the mosque committee's challenge to the suit filed by the five Hindu women, which is currently under consideration by the Varanasi Court. Last December, after thorough arguments from both parties, Justice JJ Munir reserved judgment. This ruling upholds the Varanasi Court's earlier decision from September 12, 2022, which deemed the suit to be maintainable. Reports indicate that the Masjid Committee approached the High Court in October 2022, following the Varanasi Court's dismissal of their plea, which was filed under Order 7 Rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code. The plea aimed to challenge the suit brought by the Hindu women seeking worshiping rights within the Gyanvapi Mosque compound. The Varanasi District Judge Ajay Krishna Vishwesha, in his order, highlighted that the plaintiffs' suit is not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, the Waqf Act 1995, and the U.P. Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Act, 1983. These were the contentions made by the Anjuman Masjid Committee, responsible for the management of Gyanvapi Masjid.