On Saturday, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) sought eight more weeks to complete the ongoing scientific survey of the disputed Gyanvapi premises and submit its report.

The ASI submitted a special application to the court of Varanasi, which posted the matter for the next hearing on September 8.

Initially, ASI was supposed to submit its survey report today.

Earlier, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, had said that ASI was contemplating seeking more time to produce a survey report. “The extra days allowed by the court to the ASI for producing the report would be clear only after the hearing in the matter,” Jain said. He added that the deployment of the police forces was extended till further orders.

So far, 40 members of the ASI team have been conducting the survey for the last 27 days. The ASI team has covered the entire premises barring the sealed area around the ablution pond, where Shivling was found in May 2022 during a court-mandated video survey.