Don't trouble me anymore: Sacked Gyanvapi Masjid survey official tells colleague, breaks down

Sacked court commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra, who was on the team that surveyed the Gyanvapi Masjid, has said that special court commissioner Vishal Singh was responsible for his removal, as he broke down during an interview with India Today/AajTak.

Court commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra, who was reportedly sacked by a Varanasi court for being responsible for leaking information about the Gyanvapi Masjid survey to the media, broke down during an interview with India Today/ Aaj Tak. He said: “I worked with integrity and did whatever special court commissioner Vishal Singh told me to. Yet, I was accused of not cooperation. He didn’t even tell me anything before approaching the court.”

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The court, while axing the top official it appointed weeks ago, termed his conduct ‘irresponsible’ and emphasized that any court-appointed official must act like a public servant. “But Mishra appointed a private cameraman who leaked information,” it noted.

The Muslim party in the case has been persistently accusing Ajay Mishra of being biased and there was a call to remove him earlier as well.

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Vishal Singh on Wednesday said that he had only sought to clarify the controversy around the cameraperson’s statement to the media that raised a hue and cry. “Ajay Mishra was not sacked. He is still in our team (of surveyors). He will submit his independent report on the survey that he conducted on May 6 and 7. Things were not proceeding according to procedures. I only asked for cooperation,” he said.

Mishra reacted, saying: “He is like an elder brother. He can say whatever he wants. But I am very hurt by his allegations. I didn’t expect him to raise questions on my integrity. I have never been dishonest.”