The team from the Archaeological Survey of India started their scientific investigation of the Varanasi Gyanvapi mosque complex in Uttar Pradesh on Monday morning.
The ASI crew arrived in Varanasi on Sunday with all the required equipment.
In a video released by ANI, the UP Police squad can be seen entering the Gyanvapi mosque compound as the ASI inspection started.
There are about 40 people, including officials from ASI, the management committee at the Gyanvapi mosque, four plaintiffs, Hindu women, and their solicitors.
People familiar with the situation said on Sunday that the survey is taking place despite the mosque management committee's petition to the Supreme Court against the district court's order permitting the inspection.
The Varanasi court issued its ruling in response to a plea from the Hindu side asking for direction for ASI to conduct a "scientific survey" of the entire Gyanvapi mosque premises.
The Varanasi district court ordered the ASI to conduct a thorough inspection of the Gyanvapi masjid on Friday to determine whether the mosque was constructed atop a preexisting Hindu temple. The court reasoned that this scientific inquiry is "necessary" in order for the "true facts" to be revealed.
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