The Supreme Court of India has stated that it will start hearing petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, on a day-to-day basis, starting from Wednesday, August 2, 2023, except on Mondays and Fridays. The Constitution bench will be led by CJI DY Chandrachud, and comprises Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant. All the parties have been apprised by the five-judge bench that all additional documents, compilations, and written submissions have to be filed by July 27.
The SC order also states that the statements made in the latest affidavit filed by the central government would have no bearing on the constitutional question, and it would not be relied upon.
After petitioners IAS officer Shah Faesal and former student leader Shehla Rashid have withdrawn their petitions, there are still more than 20 petitions pending before the apex court, which challenge the Centre’s decision of scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution, after which the ‘special status’ given to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked, and the state was split into two Union Territories.
