The Allahabad High Court could not hear on Wednesday the petition filed demanding a scientific survey through carbon dating of the Shivling figure found in the Gyanvapi campus of Varanasi. The High Court will hear the petition on January 19 at 2 pm.
ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) has not yet filed its affidavit in this matter. ASI seeks further extension of eight weeks to file reply. On May 16, 2022, the order of the lower court not allowing carbon dating has been challenged in the petition filed for the scientific survey of the Shivlinga figure found during the commission proceedings to be conducted by the ASI.
On October 14, the District Judge Varanasi rejected the application seeking carbon dating. On a monitoring petition filed by Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas and Rekha Pathak, the court had asked the ASI whether carbon dating could be done without causing damage. The court had also sought response from the ASI on the last hearing.