The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has submitted a report of the survey conducted by it in the Gyanvapi mosque premises at Varanasi. The ASI team headed by its superintendent Avinash Mohanti submitted the report to the District Judge of Varanasi on Monday. Around 250 artifacts including broken statues, earthen and symbols found during the survey were also produced in the court.
Meanwhile the counsel of Anjuman Intezamia, the management committee of Gyanvapi mosque submitted an application in the court asking it not to disclose the report. The mosque committee in its application had requested the report be submitted in a sealed envelope and it should not be made public without obtaining an affidavit. However, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, the counsel for Hindu party objected to the submission of the report in a sealed envelope. He submitted an application in the court seeking a copy of the report. Jain said that the court will hear his application on Thursday.
The ASI Survey Report
The ASI on Monday submitted two pen drives, two hard discs and more than 1000 pages of report to court. According to sources, the report of the GPR survey done by ASI has been prepared in the US. The ASI during its survey had called upon a team from Hyderabad for the Ground Penetration Radar (GPR) survey.
It may be mentioned that a writ was filed in the Varanasi court demanding ASI survey by four Hindu women devotees on May 16 this year. The District Judge of Varanasi Dr Ajay Krishna Vishwesh on July 21 this year had ordered for ASI survey of the Gyanvapi premises except the sealed Wajukhana. The ASI was asked to complete the survey in eight weeks. However the ASI took three months to complete the survey and took extension five times from the court for submitting the report.