‘Expect ASI won’t seek more time’: Varanasi court gives 10 days to submit Gyanvapi report

The ASI had sought three more weeks to submit the report, stating that its “experts are working hard to cross-check, correlate and compile the findings.. but completion and preparation of the detailed survey report is going to take some more time”.

In its application, the ASI said it is working on various types of data collected by archaeologists, surveyors and other experts, etc and assimilation of information generated by different experts and different tools is a difficult and slow process and it will take some more time to complete the report for final submission.

Seeking dismissal of the ASI application seeking more time, the Gyanvapi mosque committee “strongly objected” to the demand and argued that the “ASI is seeking time to file the report again and again without any original cause”. The committee also argued that “there should be some end to this process of taking time and again to file the report”.

The agency had started the survey of the mosque premises, excluding its sealed section where the wuzukhana is located, on August 4, following the court orders.

On November 2, the ASI 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 had then granted additional time till November 17 for submitting the document. But its counsel again sought 15 more days due to the non-availability of the technical report and District Judge A K Vishvesh then asked it to submit its report by November 28.