'Travel to Srinagar And Report Back To Us’, Says Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the central government over several petitions which have challenged the scrapping of Article 370 in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The court also said that as this was an issue related to the Constitution, a 5 judge Constitution Bench of the court would hear the mater. The combined hearing into these petitions is scheduled to be held in October. During the hearing the Centre had tried to get the court to not issue notice. “Other countries can take advantage of the orders of this court’ the solicitor General ,Tushar Mehta informed Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. However, the Supreme Court, which had on two earlier hearings over the past 3 weeks since Article 370 was scrapped said that the Centre must be given time to normalise the situation, on Wednesday said that as the matter related to a constitutional challenge, a Constitution Bench would be set up and issued notice.
The Supreme Court also permitted Kashmiri student, Mohammad Aleem Sayed who is studying in Jamia in Delhi, to travel to Srinagar and meet his parents. Sayed had petitioned the court for permission to travel to Srinagar as he had not heard from his parents in over 3 weeks. Phone lines and internet had been suspended in Srinagar and other parts of the former state by the Centre following the scrapping of 370. The Supreme court also allowed CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury to travel to Srinagar to meet with party colleague Mohammad Yousef Tarigami. Yechury had filed a Habeas Corpus petition before the top court. “If there is a citizen of this country who wants to meet his colleague why can’t he go ?”, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in court. Mr Mehta replied that he feared that this was not just a personal trip by Yechury and could “endanger the situation which is becoming normal”. Mr Mehta also informed the court that Tarigami had z plus security and hadn’t disappeared as Yechury claimed. The Solicitor General however did not share details about Tarigami’s exact location or whereabouts. The Supreme Court asked the local administration to ensure that both Sayed and Yechury were able to travel to Srinagar for their stated purposes and then report back to the court. It asked Yechury to only travel to meet with Tarigami and not deviate from that and also directed the police to provide any security if required. The Supreme Court also issued notice to the Centre over 2 petitions filed by Anurudha Bhasin, the Executive Editor of Kashmir Times and Tehseen Poonawalla. Bhasin had petitioned the court over easing the conditions to allow for reporting from Srinagar while Poonawalla had asked for lifting restrictions and ending the detention of political leaders in the state. The Centre has been asked to file its response in seven days.
The Supreme Court also permitted Kashmiri student, Mohammad Aleem Sayed who is studying in Jamia in Delhi, to travel to Srinagar and meet his parents. Sayed had petitioned the court for permission to travel to Srinagar as he had not heard from his parents in over 3 weeks. Phone lines and internet had been suspended in Srinagar and other parts of the former state by the Centre following the scrapping of 370. The Supreme court also allowed CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury to travel to Srinagar to meet with party colleague Mohammad Yousef Tarigami. Yechury had filed a Habeas Corpus petition before the top court. “If there is a citizen of this country who wants to meet his colleague why can’t he go ?”, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in court. Mr Mehta replied that he feared that this was not just a personal trip by Yechury and could “endanger the situation which is becoming normal”. Mr Mehta also informed the court that Tarigami had z plus security and hadn’t disappeared as Yechury claimed. The Solicitor General however did not share details about Tarigami’s exact location or whereabouts. The Supreme Court asked the local administration to ensure that both Sayed and Yechury were able to travel to Srinagar for their stated purposes and then report back to the court. It asked Yechury to only travel to meet with Tarigami and not deviate from that and also directed the police to provide any security if required. The Supreme Court also issued notice to the Centre over 2 petitions filed by Anurudha Bhasin, the Executive Editor of Kashmir Times and Tehseen Poonawalla. Bhasin had petitioned the court over easing the conditions to allow for reporting from Srinagar while Poonawalla had asked for lifting restrictions and ending the detention of political leaders in the state. The Centre has been asked to file its response in seven days.
Latest Videos
