New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the ‘scientific survey’, including carbon dating, of a ‘Shivling’ that was found at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi during a videographic survey last year, saying that “we need to tread carefully in this matter”.
The top curt said since the implications of the Allahabad High Court order that allowed carbon dating of the “Shivling” merit closer scrutiny, the implementation of the directions concerned in the order shall stand deferred till the next date.
“As the implications of the impugned order merit closer scrutiny, the implementation of the directions concerned in the order shall stand deferred till the next date,” the top court bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said.
The top court said this while hearing a plea challenging the Allahabad High Court order of conducting a scientific survey to understand the age of the structure claimed to be a ‘Shivling’ in the mosque in Varanasi using modern technology.
A ‘Shivling’ was earlier this year found during a video survey in the Gyanvapi temple complex following the orders of a lower court in Varanasi.
In this matter, the Supreme Court bench also issued notices to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Hindu petitioners on the mosque panel’s plea against the high court order for the scientific survey and carbon dating of ‘Shivling’.
Earlier, this month, the Allahabad High Court had directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to carry out a ‘scientific survey’ of the ‘Shivling’ in the Gyanvapi mosque to ascertain its age.
The high court had asked the ASI to ensure that no damage is done to the structure during the survey.
A single bench of Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra was responding to a petition filed by the Hindu side, demanding carbon dating of the Shivling. The ASI had submitted its report in a sealed envelope.
