The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a new petition seeking permission to worship the ‘Shivling’, which is said to have been found in the Gyanvapi mosque premises in Varanasi during a court-ordered survey.
The plea also sought carbon dating of the ‘Shivling’ to determine its age.
A bench comprising of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions of lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain and scheduled the plea for hearing on July 21 alongside the pending petition of the ‘Anjuman Intezemia Masjid Committee’, which manages the affairs of the Gyanvapi mosque.
Another bench, led by Justice D Y Chandrachud, has taken up the mosque committee’s petition, which challenges the survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex, where the ‘Shivling’ is said to be identified and has listed a hearing for July 21.
“This is a petition to allow ‘darshan and pooja’ of the ‘Shivling’ discovered in the complex, as well as to direct the ASI to conduct a carbon dating on the ‘Shivling’. The Masjid Committee’s petition challenging the commission survey is set to be heard on July 21. Please include it with that,” Jain said.
The Apex Court agreed to hear the case alongside the Masjid committee’s case, which is being heard by a bench led by Justice Chandrachud.
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