A district court in Lucknow dismissed a revision petition filed by some Muslims against a civil judge’s order on 28 February. The order, issued on 6 September 2023, allowed the civil suit in the Teele Wali Masjid case to proceed despite the Muslim side’s plea that the suit was not maintainable.

‘Aurangzeb built Teele Wali Masjid on razed Lakshman Teela’

The civil suit was initially filed in 2013 by Lord Sheshnagesh Teeleshwar Mahadev Virajman, represented by Dr VK Srivastava, who argued that a Hindu religious structure, Lakshman Teela, was demolished during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to build the Teele Wali Masjid. The plaintiff sought the restoration of the original Hindu religious structure at the site.

The plaintiffs, including Nripenda Pandey, argued in the suit that people still worship at the site.

On the other hand, the Muslim side contended that the suit was not maintainable under both the Places of Worship Act of 1991 and the Waqf Act of 1995. The civil judge had rejected the objection raised by the Muslim side, leading to the revision plea before the ADJ.

Can’t dismiss case: Judge

In the recent order, Additional District Judge Narendra Kumar stated that the plea in the civil suit involved a combination of legal and factual questions and, therefore, could not be summarily dismissed without recording evidence. The Muslim side had objected to the suit, claiming that it was time-barred under the Places of Worship Act of 1991. However, the ADJ found no illegality in the previous order and deemed the suit to be valid.

But other Hindu litigants lose

In a separate case titled Ancient Idol of Swayambhu Lord Vishweshwar vs Anjuman Intizamia Masajid and others, a fast-track court in Varanasi rejected the pleas of Pranay Kumar Pandey and Karan Shankar Pandey. These individuals, who are the sons of one of the original litigants in the Gyanvapi case, sought to be included as parties to the suit.

The civil judge (senior division) Prashant Kumar Singh ruled that the pleas were not maintainable under Order 22 Rule of CPC. Advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi, representing Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar as the deity’s next friend, contested the pleas. The court scheduled March 7 as the next hearing date for the comprehensive survey by ASI covering the entire Gyanvapi mosque premises, as stated by Rastogi.

Pranay and Karan, sons of Harihar Pandey, who, along with Somnath Vyas and Prof Ramrang Sharma, initiated the original suit. Following Pandey’s passing on Dec 10, 2023, his sons requested to be included in the case.