Gyanvapi petitioner gets threat call, given security

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), April 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Harihar Pandey, the petitioner in the Gyanvapi mosque case on behalf of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar, has received a life threat on his phone after a local court pronounced the verdict directing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct an archaeological survey of the Gyanvapi compound to ascertain if a temple existed at the spot earlier.

The police officials have deputed two constables at Pandey's residence for his security.

Pandey informed that he received a phone call from an unknown number on the day of the verdict.

The caller threatened Pandey that he would be killed.

Pandey called senior police officials and informed them about the threat following which ACP Avadhesh Pandey met him and collected all the details.

The ACP said the phone number is being traced and investigation is on.

Harihar Pandey, Pandit Somnath Vyas and Ramrang Sharma had filed the first petition in the case on behalf of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar at a civil court in 1991.

Pandey is now the only surviving petitioner among the three.

Advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi as the 'next friend' of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar had filed an application in the court of civil judge in December 2019, requesting for the survey of the entire Gyanvapi compound by ASI.

After hearing the case, the court of civil judge (senior division) Fast Track, Ashutosh Tiwari gave verdict on April 8 and asked the Director General of ASI to conduct a comprehensive archaeological physical survey of the entire settlement plot of Gyanvapi compound.

The court directed the DG to constitute a five-member committee of eminent persons who are experts and well versed in the science of archaeology for this purpose.

Source: IANS