MP: High court grants 8-week extension to survey in disputed Bhojshala complex
Bhopal: Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on Monday granted a plea by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for an eight-week-extension to its ongoing survey in the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Dhar district in the state.
The term of survey fixed by the high court earlier was to end on May three.
A division bench of the high court on Monday ordered the ASI to submit a complete report on the scientific survey of the complex by July five.
In its petition submitted to the high court, the ASI sought more time to ‘understand the nature of the exposed portions of the structures’ on the disputed site.
The ASI contended that the survey was being conducted by protecting the existing structures in the complex and hence, the progress of the survey has been slow.
Scientific tools are being used in the survey and the documentation of the monument is being done by the ASI.
The ASI is in touch with the National Geographical Research Institute (NGRI) for the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) in the survey, as directed by the high court earlier.
The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on March 11 ordered the ASI to conduct a scientific survey to understand the character of the monument in the complex to ascertain if a mosque was built by demolishing a temple.
While Hindus worship in the Vagdevi (Saraswati) temple on one side of the complex on every Tuesday, Muslims offer namaz at Kamal Maula mosque in another portion in the complex on every Friday.
A Hindu group has filed a petition in the Indore bench of high court seeking a directive to ASI to conduct a survey of the complex to ascertain if a mosque was built at the site by demolishing a temple.
