The Supreme Court division bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Surya Kant, and Justice PS Narasimha extended on Friday the interim order issued on May 17, in which directions were issued to protect the area where a "Shivling" was reported to have been found inside the mosque during a survey ordered by the Varanasi Civil Court in the Gyanvapi mosque case.

The bench was hearing a special leave petition filed by the Anjuman Intezemia Masjid Committee (which manages the Gyanvapi Mosque) challenging the survey ordered by the Varanasi Civil Court in a suit filed by five Hindu women seeking the right to worship deities in the mosque premises all year.

The court ordered on May 20 that the interim order would be in effect for eight weeks following the decision of the Varanasi District Court on the application filed by the Masjid Committee challenging the maintainability of the Hindu worshippers' suit. On September 12, the District Court dismissed the Masjid side's application. Because the interim order is set to expire in 8 weeks, on November 12, the plaintiffs requested an urgent listing of the case yesterday in order to extend it.

Senior Advocate Ranjit Kumar, representing the Hindu plaintiffs, argued that the Masjid committee's SLP has become "infructuous." "The order appointing the Advocate Commissioner was challenged. My friends (from the Masjid side) have been testifying before the Advocate Commissioner: "Kumar submitted his work. He also requested that the court extend the interim order issued on May 17.

Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the Masjid Committee, refuted the claim that the petition has become "infructuous." He claimed that the plaintiffs filed the application with false allegations that the defendants were participating in the Commission's proceedings.