The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) filed its survey report of the disputed Gyanvapi structure in a sealed cover in Varanasi district court on Monday.

The Hindu side has objected to the report being submitted in a sealed cover and demanded a copy of the report be supplied to them. Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer representing the Hindu side, said that filing the report in a sealed cover is in violation of the Supreme Court order.

“Today, the Archaeological Survey of India has filed its report in sealed cover in violation of the Supreme Court judgement of 4th August. The Supreme Court had delivered a verdict on 4th August pertaining to this very case, wherein the demand of the Anjuman Intezamia (Muslim side) to file the report in sealed cover was rejected. And  despite that, the ASI has filed a report in a sealed cover, which is a clear violation of the Supreme Court order,” Jain said.

“We have moved an application before the district court that we must be supplied a copy of the report, and there cannot be a gag order on the media that you cannot talk about this report, you cannot publish about this report. We will participate in the hearing on December 21. And if the district court does not pass an order which is in consonance with the law, we’ll file an appeal before the Supreme Court,” he added.

Earlier, the ASI had sought several extensions to submit the report.