In a significant verdict, the Varanasi district court has allowed Hindus to worship at the basement of Vyasji within the Gyanvapi complex declaring that the Hindus have the right to worship there.

Adjudicating an application in this regard, District Judge Dr Ajay Krishna Vishwesh gave the verdict on Wednesday with permission to worship in the basement of Vyasji in the Gyanvapi complex.

The arguments from both sides were completed in the court on Tuesday.

Hindu side’s lawyer Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi said the right to worship in the basement of Vyasji has been given and the court has ordered the district officer to comply with the order within a week’s time.

Similarly, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi case, said, “The Hindu side has been allowed to worship in ‘Vyas Ka Tahkhana’. The district administration will have to make arrangements within seven days.” He said the puja would start within seven days and everyone would have the right to perform the puja.

In their reaction to the verdict, lawyers of the Anjuman Intejamia Masjid Committee said they would move the high court against the district court verdict. On the other hand, Hindu side lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain said, “We will file a caveat in the Allahabad High Court. If the court hears the issue on the plea of the Muslim side, we will be ready there.”

According to the plaintiff’s lawyers, Vyasji’s basement has been handed over to the DM. On the advocates’ request, the court has given permission to open the barricading in front of Nandi. In such a situation, people will now be allowed to come and go for worship in the basement as before 1993 with the orders of the court.

On Tuesday, in the court, advocates Mumtaz Ahmed and Ikhlaq Ahmed, on behalf of the Anjuman Intejamia Masjid Committee, said the basement of Vyasji is a part of the mosque. Worship cannot be allowed there. This case is hindered by the Places of Worship Act. The basement is the property of the Waqf Board and therefore, worship should not be allowed there.

The case was filed by Shailendra Pathak, grandson of Pt. Somnath Vyas, demanding the handover of the basement of Vyas ji located in Gyanvapi to the district magistrate and to give him an officer to perform puja in it.

On September 25 last year, a suit was filed on behalf of Shailendra Kumar Pathak claiming a basement in the building located on the south side of Gyanvapi. It is the main seat of the Vyas family, the chief priests of the ancient temple. There is enough evidence that on a hereditary basis, priest Vyas ji was in possession there even during the British rule and worshiped there till December 1993. Many ancient sculptures and other materials of religious importance related to the worship of the Hindu religion are present there.

The last paragraph of the four-page judgment reads: “District Magistrate, Varanasi/Receiver is directed to hand over the basement situated on the south side of the building situated at Settlement Plot No. 9130, Thana Chowk, District Varanasi, which is the suit property, to the plaintiff and the priest named by the Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board. For worship, raga-bhog, idols located in the basement, make proper arrangements in iron fence, etc., and get it done within 7 days. The defendant has filed an application paper number 57C under Order 7 Rule 11D Civil Procedure Code, for disposal of this application.”