The Supreme Court of India has commenced hearings on a set of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir after a four-year hiatus. The 5-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, is hearing the batch of petitions, contesting the 2019 Presidential Order that revoked the special status of the former state of J&K and its division into two Union Territories.
The Constitution Bench, comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, and Surya Kant, will consecutively hear the matter from August 2, except on Mondays and Fridays. Chief Justice Chandrachud and Justice Khanna are the newest members of this 5-judge bench, as CJI N V Ramana and Justice Subhash Reddy, who were part of the earlier bench, have since retired.
The petitions were recently reviewed on July 11 to complete necessary pre-hearing formalities, which began on March 2, 2020, when another Constitution Bench ruled against the necessity of referring the matter to a seven-judge bench.
In response to the case, the Central government has submitted a fresh affidavit to the top court, defending the decision to revoke the special status of J&K. The government maintains that the dilution of Article 370 has resulted in unprecedented development, progress, security, and stability in the region.