Varanasi court bans media from covering Gyanvapi survey
Varanasi, Aug 9: A Varanasi court on Wednesday barred media from covering the ongoing ASI survey of the Gyanvapi complex from the spot and also directed members of the survey team to not give comments to any media outlet.
The court of District Judge A K Vishvesh passed the order on a plea by the Gyanvapi management committee seeking a ban on the media coverage of the survey which is being conducted to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a temple.
Madan Mohan Yadav, the Hindu side's lawyer who was present in the court during the hearing, told PTI, "The court has ordered the media to not report the event from the spot. The members of survey team should also not give comments in the media. The court further advised that such reports on the issue that could lead to breach of peace should not be put on social media."
In July, a Varanasi court had directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple here. The order was upheld by the Allahabad High Court.
The survey of the mosque complex began on August 4 following court orders.
Syed Mohammad Yasin, joint secretary of Anjuman Intezamia Masjid that manages the mosque, said the ASI survey is being done on the orders of the court.
No statement has been given so far by the survey team or any of its officials, but newspapers and news channels and on social media misleading news is being run continuously, he claimed.
Yasin said that this will have a "wrong effect" on the people's mind and such news items should be stopped from being published.
"We gave an application in the court of District Judge A K Vishvesh on Tuesday, which is expected to be heard on Wednesday," he said earlier in the day.
Amid the ongoing survey at the mosque complex, Yasin had on Sunday said baseless things were being spread, and if they were not stopped, then the Muslim side could boycott the survey.
Yasin had alleged that during the survey on Saturday, a section of the media spread rumours that idols, tridents and urns were found in the basement of the mosque, hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community.
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4 held for sexually assaulting woman, girl on moving bus after social media alert in UP's Agra
Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.
Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.
Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.
The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.
