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A Varanasi Local Court on Tuesday removed Advocate- Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra from the Gyanvapi Survey Commission and granted two days’ more time to Special Adv-Commissioner Vishal Singh to file the survey report.

The order was passed by the Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar on the application moved by Singh alleging that Mishra and Additional Advocate Commissioner Ajay Pratap Singh are neither supporting nor showing any interest in the Commission’s work.

Singh had also alleged that Mishra had hired a private cameraman, who had been constantly giving wrong bytes in the media, due to which he was expelled from the Commission proceedings on Monday itself.

Taking note of Singh's submissions, Court removed Mishra from the Commission with immediate effect and directed that all reports of the Commission's work after May 12, will be filed directly by Singh. Court also ordered that Additional Advocate Commissioner Ajay Pratap Singh will work only under the directions of the Special Advocate Commissioner and not independently.

Court also accepted Singh's request to grant further two days' time to submit final report of the survey. 

Interestingly, on May 12, on a plea by Anjuman Intezamia Masajid alleging the bias on part of Mishra, the same court had allowed him to inspect, conduct videography and collect evidence of the Gyanvapi site and ordered him to submit the commission's report by May 17. 

However, Court had added Singh as Special Advocate Commissioner and Ajay Pratap Singh as Additional Advocate Commissioner to the Commission. 

The development has taken place in the plea filed by 5 women seeking the performance of all rituals of Maa Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman & other deities within the "old temple complex" allegedly existing inside the mosque site.

Case Title: Rakhi Singh and Ors v. State of UP