The Varanasi District and Sessions Court will announce its decision on Monday regarding the validity of civil lawsuits disputing the ownership of the Gyanvapi mosque and its surrounding land. Five Hindu women have filed petitions to worship Maa Shringar Gauri on the outer wall of the mosque complex near the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The Supreme Court, acknowledging the complexity of the issues in the case, transferred the dispute from the Civil Judge to the District Judge in Varanasi on May 20. The Hindu side claims the mosque was built on a temple site, while the Muslim side argues it was built on Wakf land protected by the Places of Worship Act. District Judge AK Vishvesha began hearing the case in June, with no media allowed to witness the proceedings. In July, the Supreme Court decided to wait for the Varanasi district court’s ruling on the mosque committee’s objections before intervening, setting a new hearing date for October 20. The bench, consisting of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and PS Narasimha, stated that all arguments must first be presented before the district court, as the Anjuman Intezamia contested the survey of the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi.