The Varanasi District Court has extended the deadline for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to present its scientific report on the Gyanvapi Mosque premises. District Judge AK Vishvesh has granted an additional week for the ASI to conclude its scientific survey and submit the comprehensive report.

This extension comes after the court had previously allowed a ten-day extension to the ASI during the last hearing. The court, hopeful of timely completion, emphasized that further extensions for the submission of the survey report should be avoided.

The ASI had initially sought three more weeks to compile and submit the report, citing the complexity of collating data collected by various experts and tools. Acknowledging the challenging nature of this assimilation process, the court granted the additional time.

Previously, the ASI had been granted an extension by the court beyond the original deadline of August 4 for the submission of the scientific survey report. The ongoing scientific survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex was initiated by court order following a plea filed by five Hindu women worshippers. The court directed the ASI to conduct the survey, excluding the "Wuzukhana" area, to determine whether a Hindu temple existed at the site prior to the mosque's construction.

The petitioners claim that the mosque was built on the site of a pre-existing Hindu temple, necessitating a comprehensive scientific survey to establish the historical accuracy of these claims.

Both the Supreme Court and the Allahabad High Court upheld the District Court's order for the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex and declined to intervene in the matter.

The next hearing on this issue is scheduled for December 18.

ASI Likely to Submit Gyanvapi Survey Report in Varanasi Court Today