Satya Prakash
New Delhi, August 1
Four years after abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the Supreme Court will on Wednesday commence hearing on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of nullification of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two union territories.
The matter will be taken up by a five-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud which will hear it on a day-to-day basis, except on Mondays and Fridays when the top court deals with miscellaneous matters. Other judges on the Constitution Bench are Justice SK Kaul, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant.
There are more than 20 petitions challenging the Presidential Orders nullifying Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution; and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which divided the state into two UTs has already been acted upon. The changes came into effect on October 31, 2019, after being notified in the official gazette.