The Gyanvapi mosque committee filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court on Thursday, challenging the Varanasi district court’s order. The district court had directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey of the mosque to determine whether the current structure was built over a pre-existing Hindu temple.

Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker, who presided over the case, announced that the survey would not proceed until the High Court issues its ruling on August 3.

Senior Advocate SFA Naqvi, representing the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, caretakers of the Gyanvapi mosque, stated that the survey of the mosque complex would be suspended until the High Court’s decision is made on August 3.

The mosque committee argued in the High Court that the survey should be conducted later in the case after both parties present evidence, as excavation work could harm the structural integrity of the Gyanvapi mosque.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing four women seeking the survey, argued that the mosque’s western wall actually belonged to a Hindu temple. He cited last year’s survey findings and defended the district court’s decision to conduct a survey.

The Varanasi court had ordered the ASI to conduct a scientific investigation of the mosque premises to determine if it was built on a Hindu temple’s structure. The ASI was also directed to use Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) below the domes of the building.

The Supreme Court temporarily halted the Varanasi court’s order until July 26, allowing the mosque committee to challenge it in the High Court.

(Note: The text has been edited for spelling, grammar, clarity, conciseness, and readability while retaining the original meaning.)