The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Tuesday (28 November) requested an additional three weeks from the district court in Varanasi to submit the scientific survey report of the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

The court is scheduled to hear the plea on Wednesday. The district court had initially instructed the ASI to submit the report on the Gyanvapi Masjid complex by 28 November.

According to New Indian Express, the ASI, in its application, explained that its experts are currently working on diverse data collected by archaeologists, surveyors, and other professionals.

The assimilation of information from various sources and tools is a complex and time-consuming process, requiring additional time for the completion of the final report, the application said.

Since 4 August, the ASI has been conducting a survey within the barricaded area of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, excluding its sealed section, as directed by the court.

The survey was initiated in response to a plea seeking a scientific examination of the Gyanvapi premises, located adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was built over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.