The Supreme Court (SC,) on the 28th of August, reviewed a total of 14 petitions, filed against the scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Political leaders of opposition parties, activists, journalists, advocates and others filed petitions in the SC against Article 370 and issues related to the Article in the State and demanded an urgent hearing.
A bench of three, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, reviewed the petitions. The other two judges were Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer.
After detailed discussions and arguments, the SC issued two notices to the Government of India and pushed the case to a bench of 5 judges.
On the other hand, while reviewing a petition against the restrictions in the Kashmir Valley, the SC asked the Government of India to submit a reply within 7 days. Since the 5th of August, the media outlets are shut in the Kashmir Valley. Communication services were also restored a few days back in a few areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to sources, all the filed petitions were specifically of 4 categories—against Article 370, against the detention of approximately 40 political leaders of State parties, against restrictions in the Valley and against anti India elements trying to disrupt the harmony in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Court also allowed Sitaram Yechury, a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist,) to meet the people in Jammu and Kashmir. Ranjan Gogoi further added the GoI cannot stop any citizen of India from visiting Jammu and Kashmir.
Reviewing one such petition filed by Mohammad Aleem Syed, a law graduate from Jamia Milia University in Delhi, the SC granted him permission to visit his family and submit an affidavit after his visit to the SC. He filed a petition seeking permission to meet his family living in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir.
The other petitions will be heard in October by a special bench of 5 SC judges.
Stay tuned for further updates.
