The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the “scientific survey”, including carbon dating, of a “Shivling” said to have been found at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi during a videographic survey last year.
The bench comprising of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice KV Viswanathan stated that the inference of the Allahabad high court order allowed carbon dating of the “Shivling” merits closer scrutiny and all stakeholders “must tread carefully”.
Further, it added the implementation of the directions concerned in the order that shall stand adjourned till the next date.
The SC passed the order in a special leave petition filed by the Anjuman Islamia Masjid committee against the Allahabad high court’s order allowing the Archaeological Survey of India to carbon date the ‘shivling’.
SG tells SC that we will seek an alternative method.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appeared for the UP state, which also expressed concerns regarding damage to the structure during the scientific survey.
He told the bench that the Centre and the state of UP “will examine in consultation with ASI if there is an alternative method to ascertain the age of the ‘Shivling’ found at Gyanvapi”.
Earlier in September 2022, the plea for a scientific probe of the ‘shivling’ was made before the Varanasi Court. It got rejected while taking into account, the Supreme Court’s order to protect the spot where the ‘shivling’ was claimed to have been found.
