Varanasi, Jan 26 (IANS): In compliance with the January 17 order of the district judge court, District Magistrate S. Rajalingam has completed the process of taking the southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque under his custody as the receiver.

As a representative of district magistrate , ADM (protocol) Prakash Chand reached the Gyanvapi mosque to attend a meeting with plaintiff and head priest of Acharya Ved Vyas Peeth temple Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas, his advocates and representatives of Anjuman Intezamia Masjid (AIM).

Chief executive officer of Kashi Vishwanath Dham Sunil Verma was also present.

Later, the official entered the mosque premises and completed the basic formalities, including measurement of the southern cellar and displaying a notice board mentioning its custody by the receiver.

The process was completed prior to the hearing on Vyas suit, in which district Judge Ajay Krishna Vishvesha on January 17 had ordered to appoint the DM of Varanasi as the receiver of the southern cellar of the mosque.

The court, on Thursday, fixed January 29 as the next date of hearing in this case, said Vyas’s advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi.

Making AIM a party, Vyas on September 25, 2023 had filed a suit before the court of civil judge (senior division), seeking permission for worship of Shringar Gauri and other visible and invisible deities in the cellar of Gyanvapi mosque and appoint DM or any other suitable persons as the receiver of the southern cellar.

Few minutes after filing this suit before the civil judge (senior division) on September 25, 2023, Vyas’s advocates moved another application before the court of the district judge seeking its transfer to his court, mentioning that it will deem fit in the interest of justice.

District judge had allowed the transfer of the case to his court on October 19, 2023.