Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who ordered videography (video survey) in the premises of Gyanvapi Masjid located in Varanasi in UP, has received a threatening letter on Tuesday (June 7, 2022). The city police commissioner said that nine policemen have been deployed to protect the judge. At present the matter is being investigated.
Judge Diwakar wrote a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Director General of Police and Police Commissioner Varanasi informing about the threat received. He wrote in a letter sent to the officers that this letter has been sent to him by Kashif Ahmed Siddiqui on behalf of ‘Islamic Beginnings Movement’. Police Commissioner A Satish Ganesh said that the judge received a letter from the registered post, which contains some more papers. They have just been informed about this. Varanasi Deputy Commissioner of Police Varuna has been entrusted with the investigation of the case.
According to Ganesh, a total of nine policemen have been deployed to protect Judge Kumar. Their safety is being reviewed from time to time. The letter sent to the judge has also gone viral on social media. The letter reads, “Now the judges are also drenched in saffron. The verdict is given by the extremists to appease the Hindus and all their organisations. After this, the blame falls on the Muslims of divided India. You are doing judicial work. You have got the protection of government machinery. Then how is your wife and mother Shree afraid…?”
The letter further read, “Today the judicial officers are showing trickery by watching the wind. You made a statement that inspection of the Gyanvapi Masjid complex is a normal process. You are also a pagan (pagan). You will declare the mosque a temple.”
In fact, on 26 April, the court of Judge Diwakar had ordered a video survey of the Gyanvapi campus. The report of this survey was presented in the court on May 19. During the survey, the Hindu side had claimed to have found a ‘Shivling’ in the Vazukhana of the Gyanvapi Masjid, which was rejected by the Muslim side. Also said that it is not a “Shivling”, but a ‘fountain’.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court had ordered transfer of the case to the district judge’s court on a petition by the Muslim side. The Muslim side had filed an application in the district court saying that the matter was against the provisions of the Place of Worship Act and hence it was not maintainable.