The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to furnish a definite timeline on the Jammu & Kashmir lockdown and the several restrictions that have turned normal lives topsy turvy. “For how long you are going to have these restrictions? Its two months now. Give us a definite time,” court asked the Centre as well as the Jammu and Kashmir administration while fixing Nov 5 as next date for hearing. The three-judge headed by Justice NV Ramana also told the government, “You have to come clear on this and you have to find out other methods.”
The top court posted for November 5 on a batch of pleas challenging the restriction on internet and other forms of communication.
Supreme Court will also hear on November 5, plea filed by senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad who had sought a nod from the court to visit his family members and relatives.
A day before the announcement of the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the Central government imposed restrictions all across the state. Internet services were suspended while the movement of tourists in the state was also stopped.
As the court met in the morning to hear a clutch of cases on the lockdown, Article 370 and others that were listed for the day, Justice Ramana: “We, the judges, don’t have any personal life. My brother (Justice Gavai) had a family function today & he wanted to skip the day in court. But I requested him to come.”
—India Legal Bureau