Art 35A: SC defers hearing to Jan

The Supreme Court of India on Friday adjourned the hearing of a series of petitions regarding Article 35(A) listing it for next hearing in January 2019. The deferment of the case brought temporary reprieve in Kashmir where a shutdown against attempts to scrap the Article crippled normal life for the second consecutive day.

The apex court’s three-judge bench presided over by the chief justice of India Justice Deepak Mishra heard the arguments of the petitioners and the counsels for the defendants, the J&K Government and the Attorney General, Government of India and deferred the hearing of the case till  January 2019. The apex court will take up the case for hearing on January 19, 2019. This is the third adjournment of the case in a month.

The attorneys of the State and the Central Government’s pleaded before the bench that the State was in the middle of preparations for the local body polls and the case has the potential of a serious crisis in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Central Government supported the State Government’s stand and insisted the hearing in the case be adjourned.

In Kashmir, the normal life was paralysed on second consecutive day due to shutdown called by separatist leadership. The authorities imposed restrictions under Sec144 in areas under seven police stations in old and uptown city. In view of Friday congregational prayers and lurking tense situation, huge deployment of police and paramilitary forces personnel in riot gear was made in Srinagar and elsewhere in Kashmir Valley.

All shops, fuel stations, business establishments and educational institutions were closed  in Srinagar and other areas of the city while public transport was off the roads. The shutdown also impacted attendance in Government offices, banks and post offices because of non-availability of public transport in the city and other districts of the valley.

The train services from Baramulla north Kashmir via Srinagar to Banihal in Jammu region, was also suspended.