Gyanvapi mosque case judge: 'Family worried about my safety'

Justice Ravi Kumar Diwakar, civil judge in the senior division of Varanasi's lower court hearing the Gyanvapi mosque case, said in his judgement that his family is worried about his safety.

In his order allowing filming inside the Gyanvapi mosque on Thursday, the judge noted that 'an ordinary civil matter has been converted into an extraordinary issue' and that there was an 'atmosphere of fear' causing his wife to worry about his security.

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The court has allowed videography in all places inside the Gyanvapi mosque, as asked for by the petitioners and has ordered for the survey to be completed by May 17.

The local court earlier had directed the report of the survey to be submitted by May 10, but it could not be completed because of the dispute over videography inside the mosque premises.

Lawyer for the Gyanvapi mosque management, Abhay Nath Yadav, called the court's order illegal and said they would be challenging it soon.