Gyanvapi survey video leaked, aired on TV channels

Video footage and photographs of the survey carried inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi earlier this month were reportedly leaked, aired on a few television channels and circulated on social media on Monday.

Earlier in the day, the district court gave copies of the survey footage in a sealed packet to four of the five Hindu women petitioners, seeking permission to perform prayers inside the complex, after they gave an affidavit to the court to not make the content received in the Compact Disks (CDs) public.

After watching the video being played on a TV channel, advocate Subhshnandan Chaturvedi, representing one of the petitioners, said “all four envelopes containing CD are still sealed”. “The petitioners have not even opened the envelop… We are surprised.” Advocate Vishnu Jain, representing another petitioner, said: “We will surrender all four envelopes carrying CD in the court tomorrow (Tuesday).”

Advocate Abhaynath Yadav, representing Anzuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, which manages the Gyanvapi Masjid, alleged that one of the petitioners got the video leaked. “These people have become upset with the arguments given continuously for two days. Now the video is being made viral to confuse the public. There is a big conspiracy behind this.”

Earlier, the four women petitioners were given copies of video footage and photographs of the survey carried out inside the complex. Each of the women was given a copy of the video footage and photography on a compact disc in sealed packets, said Chaturvedi, adding that all petitioners were asked by the district court to submit a written undertaking stating that they would not misuse the data or share it on any public platform.

Chaturvedi said he had moved an application in the court on May 23 seeking that a copy of the survey’s findings be made available to the petitioners.

Chaturvedi said the four petitioners — Manju Vyas, Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu and Rekha Pathak — had submitted the required written undertaking to the court. The suit in the Gyanvapi mosque complex case was filed by five Hindu women in August 2021. After the plea was filed, a lower court in April 2022 had ordered a videographic survey of the mosque complex that was conducted on May 6, May 14, May 15 and May 16.