Varanasi Court Rejects Plea to Transfer Original 1991 Gyanvapi Suit

A Varanasi court has dismissed a plea seeking the transfer of the original 1991 title suit from the Fast Track Court (FTC) to another court. The plea had been filed by three women who claimed to be legal heirs of one of the original plaintiffs in the case.

The petitioners, namely Manikuntala Tiwari, Renu Pandey, and Neelam Mishra, are the daughters of late Harihar Pandey, who was one of the three original plaintiffs in the landmark suit (Suit No. 610/1991: Ancient Idol of Swayambhu Lord Vishweshwar vs Anjuman Intezamia Masjid) seeking restoration of the temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque stands. They alleged that the current proceedings in the Fast Track Court were being conducted in a manner that denied them a fair opportunity to present their views and requested the case be transferred to another court.

However, District Judge Jayprakash Tiwari, who had reserved the order earlier, dismissed the application on the ground of maintainability.

Apart from this plea of the the daughters, two sons of Harihar Pandey had also filed an applications seeking their formal inclusion in the suit. These too have also been rejected.

The original suit, filed in 1991 by five local Hindu residents including Pandey, seeks restoration of the ancient idol of Lord Vishweshwar at the site, claiming that the mosque was built after demolishing a portion of the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The suit is currently being heard in the Fast Track Court of Senior Division Judge, where proceedings have recently picked up pace following developments in the Supreme Court and other related petitions.