The Allahabad
High Court on Monday adjourned till February 15 the hearing on a plea
challenging the Varanasi district court order allowing Hindu prayers in a
cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi.
Justice Rohit
Ranjan Agrawal passed the order on the appeal filed by the Anjuman Intezamia
Masjid committee, which looks after the affairs of the mosque adjacent to the
Kashi Vishwanath temple.
After hearing the
counsels for the Muslim side -- Punit Gupta and SFA Naqvi -- at length, Justice
Agrawal fixed February 15 as the date for further hearing in the matter on
Naqvi's request.
Appearing on
behalf of the mosque committee, SFA Naqvi submitted before the court that what
right the plaintiff (Vyas) has in the disputed property is not decided yet and
therefore without ascertaining the right of the plaintiff, the order to permit
puja in the cellar is illegal.
The Muslim side
also filed certified copies of court orders which were not filed earlier, which
were taken on record.
The Hindu side in
the case also filed some papers to prove their possession on the property in
dispute.
The Anjuman
Intezamia Masjid committee moved the high court on February 2 within hours of
the Supreme Court refusing to hear its plea against the Varanasi district court
order and asking it to approach the high court.
The Varanasi
district court had ruled on January 31 that a priest can perform prayers before
the idols in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque.