The Gyanvapi committee had also moved the Supreme Court against the high court’s order. The apex court had, on August 4, refused to stay the high court’s order on the ASI survey.

Gyanvapi Mosque Survey: A court in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi district Saturday gave the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) ten more days to submit its scientific survey report of the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

Earlier, the ASI was scheduled to submit its report on November 17 (Friday), but the agency’s counsel sought 15 more days from the Varanasi district court, citing non-availability of the technical report.

On Saturday, the Varanasi district court granted 10 more days to the ASI for submitting the report. While hearing the matter, District Judge A K Vishvesh asked the ASI to submit its report by November 28.

According to the counsel for the Hindu side Madan Mohan Yadav, the ASI sought more time due to non-availability of the technical report.

On November 2, the ASI had told the court it had “completed” the survey but may take some more time to compile the report, along with the details of the equipment used in the survey work. The court then granted additional time till November 17 for submitting the document.

On October 5, the court had granted four more weeks to the ASI and said the duration of the survey would not be extended beyond this.

Gyanvapi survey row

The ASI carried out the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises, located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.

On November 2, it might take some more time to compile the report, along with the details of the equipment used in the survey work, following which additional time till November 17 was granted for the submission of the document.

On August 4, the court granted the ASI an additional month to complete the survey, extending its original deadline (from August 4) to September 4. It provided another four-week extension for the survey work on September 6.

The survey had begun after the Allahabad High Court upheld a Varanasi district court order and ruled that the step was “necessary in the interest of justice” and would benefit both the Hindu and Muslim sides to the dispute.

During an earlier hearing, the mosque management committee had objected to the survey, alleging that the ASI was digging the basement as well as other places of the mosque complex without permission and accumulating debris on the western wall, posing a risk that the structure might collapse.

The ASI team was not authorised to survey the premises by removing debris or garbage, the mosque panel had said.

The Gyanvapi committee had also moved the Supreme Court against the high court’s order. The apex court had, on August 4, refused to stay the high court’s order on the ASI survey.

In its order, the bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, however, asked the ASI not to carry out any invasive act during the survey. This ruled out any excavations, which the Varanasi court had said could be conducted, if necessary.

(With PTI inputs)