The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on the petition challenging the maintainability of the civil suit filed in a Varanasi court seeking ownership of the entire Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque premises even as the Muslim litigants approached the HC seeking a stay on the Varanasi court's recent order for a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque premises by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which looked after the Gyanvapi Mosque, had filed a petition in the HC challenging the decision of the Varanasi district court to admit the plea by the Hindu litigants seeking ownership of the entire premises a few months ago.
The Masjid Committee has contended that the civil suit was not maintainable in view of the Places of Worship Act 1991.
The HC, which reserved its ruling after hearing both the parties on Tuesday, is likely to pronounce its verdict in the matter on Friday.
Meanwhile the Masjid Committee on Tuesday also moved the Allahabad HC seeking a stay on the Varanasi court's order on Friday allowing a plea for a scientific survey of the Mosque, excluding the 'wuzu khana' (a place where the Muslims wash themselves before proceeding to offer prayers).
The Supreme Court, however, stayed the Varanasi court order till Wednesday evening and asked the Masjid Committee to approach the HC.
The premises had been a bone of contention between the two communities for the past several decades but there was renewed clamor to ''take back'' the Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises by the saffron outfits after the favourable decision of the apex court in the Ram Temple case.
The Hindu petitioners contended that a part of the temple had been demolished by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century. The Muslim side contended that the Mosque existed before the reign of Aurangzeb and also claimed that the same had also been mentioned in the land records.