District judge Ajay Krishna Vishvesha ruled that eight civil cases related to the Gyanvapi dispute would be clubbed together and heard jointly by his court. Seven of these cases - all of which are the same kind - were transferred to his court from other Varanasi courts while the primary case - involving the petition for authorization to worship Shringar Gauri and other deities in the Gyanvapi compound - was already being heard by the district court in accordance with the Supreme Court's instructions.
In his order, the district judge stated that it would be expedient in the interest of justice that all these suits were consolidated and tried together. “Civil suit No. 693/ 2021 (new No. 18/2022) Rakhi Singh and Others versus State of UP and Others shall be the leading case and evidence shall be recorded in the leading case,” the court ruled. This case is already with the district judge’s court.
Referring to the seven civil suits transferred to his court, the judge added that in all these cases the subject matter and points raised for determination are almost the same. In each of these cases, a right to worship idols of various Hindu gods and goddesses inside the Gyanvapi complex is demanded in each of the eight arguments.
It was observed by this court in an April 17 order that if all these cases remained pending in different courts, there was a possibility that contradictory orders might be passed, whereas if all these cases were in one court there would be no possibility of passing contradictory judgments and orders. Five women plaintiffs in suit No. 18/2022 (Rakhi Singh vs State of UP and Others) are seeking regular worship of Shringar Gauri and other deities in the Gyanvapi mosque compound.