According to police, Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar, the judge who ordered a video graphics survey of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque complex, received a threat letter on Tuesday. According to Varanasi commissioner of police A Satish Ganesh, the judge has received a letter via registered mail, along with a few papers.
“The matter is being investigated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Varuna Zone,” he said. The commissioner stated, “A total of nine additional police personnel have been deployed to guard the judge’s residences in Lucknow and Varanasi.”
“The security is reviewed on a regular basis.” On May 16, Justice Diwakar ordered the sealing of a portion of the Gyanvapi complex where Hindu groups claimed a Shivling was discovered during a court-ordered survey.
Around a month ago, Justice Diwakar had expressed concern about his safety.
On Tuesday, the judge wrote to the Uttar Pradesh Government’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and the Varanasi Police Commissionerate, stating that he had received a handwritten threat letter from an organisation known as the Islamic Agaz Movement.
Justice Diwakar demanded action, claiming that the letter, which was sent via registered mail, was written on behalf of the group by Kashif Ahmed Siddiqui. According to the copy of the letter that has since gone viral on social media, the judge would “declare the mosque a temple” because he is an “idol worshipper,” and he would also criticise his decision to allow the video inspection.
“You stated that the inspection of the Gyanvapi Masjid complex is a routine procedure. If you believe in idols, you will declare the mosque a temple. A ‘kafir, murtipujak’ Hindu judge cannot be trusted to make the right decision for a Muslim” The now-viral images are an addition.
PIL In Allahabad High Court
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Allahabad high court’s Lucknow bench, requesting the formation of a committee headed by a retired or sitting Supreme Court or high court judge to determine the truth about a structure recently discovered in the Gyanvapi complex.
On June 9, the PIL is expected to be heard by a vacation bench of Justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Subhash Vidyarthi.
According to a lawyer familiar with the situation, the petition was filed by seven Hindu petitioners who claimed to be devotees of Lord Shiva.
According to advocate Ashok Pandey, seven petitioners have asked for a survey of the structure found in Gyanvapi by a committee led by a sitting or retired Supreme Court or high court judge to determine whether the structure is a Shivlinga as claimed by Hindus or a Fountain as claimed by Muslims.
A Shivling was found, according to the Hindu side, during a videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex last month. The claim was refuted by mosque committee members, who claimed it was part of the wazookhana reservoir’s water fountain mechanism, which is used by devotees to perform ritual ablutions before offering namaz.