Gyanvapi case: Lawyers clash at FTC over date of hearing

Varanasi: Unruly scenes were created in the Fast Track Court of civil judge (senior division) on Friday when two groups of lawyers indulged in altercation during the hearing on the plea of Shailendra Pathak Vyas and Jailendra Pathak, two grandsons of one of the three deceased litigants Somnath Vyas of Gyanvapi original suit to recall their application of becoming party in this case.It was rejected in 2019.
Veteran advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi, who is contesting the Gyanvapi original suit no 610/1991 Ancient Idol of Swayambhu Lord Vishweshwar vs Anjuman Intezamia Masjid (Gyanvapi mosque management committee) and others as next friend of deity and opposing the plea of Pathak, said that he was seeking another date for hearing to prepare for the argument.
However, the lawyers of Pathaks were rigid for early hearing. Pathak’s advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi said that the two groups of lawyers entered into a heated argument on the issue of fixing of the next date after which FTC civil judge (senior division) Prashant Kumar left his chair. Later, both the groups indulged in manhandling.
Afterwards Rastogi and Chaturvedi along with his team members reached Kutchehri police outpost where both the groups agreed to settle the dispute mutually.
The court fixed May 15 as the next date for hearing on this plea, they said.
On May 7, the FTC had allowed hearing on the plea moved by Pathaks to recall the initially rejected application for becoming a party in the suit.
Pathaks had moved this application in 2022 after their initially submitted plea to become a party in place of their grandfather after his death was rejected by the court in 2019 in the lack of pursuance.