Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath case: Supreme Court adjourns hearing for tomorrow, asks trial court not to proceed or pass orders today

The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing in the Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath case and posted it for tomorrow after the counsel for Hindu parties sought deferment. .A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and PS Narasimha acceded to the request by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain but directed that the trial court should not hold proceedings or pass any order today. "It has been prayed by petitioners that proceedings before trial court should not proceed and Mr Jain agrees. We accordingly direct trial court to strictly act according to the arrangement as here and it should desist from passing any orders," the top court directed. This was after Senior Counsel Huzefa Ahmadi appearing for Muslim party highlighted that proceedings before trial court are going on and an application has now been filed to demolish a wall near the Wazu Khana. "There are applications now for sealing other mosques," Ahmadi said."Mr Jain please inform your local counsel there not to proceed. The trial judge does not have a ticker tape there (laughs)," Justice Chandrachud said.The matter will be heard tomorrow at 3 pm by three-judge bench. .The Court was hearing an appeal filed by the Committee of Management of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court permitting a court commissioner appointed by a civil court in Varanasi to inspect and conduct a survey and videography of the Gyanvapi Mosque over which Hindus and Muslims have laid claims for the right to worship.The local court had passed an order on May 16 sealing off an area of the mosque after counsel for the Hindu parties Harishankar Jain contended that a Shivling has been recovered during the survey..The appeal arises from a suit filed by Hindu parties claiming that the Gyanvapi Mosque houses Hindu deities and that Hindus should be allowed to worship and do puja at the site.The lower court had appointed a court commissioner to conduct a survey and videography of the site. This order was challenged before Allahabad High Court, which dismissed the appeal on April 21.Subsequently, the Masajid Committee filed a plea before the lower court claiming that the court commissioner was biased and should be replaced. The same was dismissed, paving the way for the survey to take place.