New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has initiated hearings, on a series of petitions that challenge the cancellation of Article 370 in the Constitution, which provided status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud will lead a five judge bench that will conduct these hearings on a basis except for Mondays and Fridays when other matters are addressed.
During the hearings the focus will be on the petitions that question both the revocation of Article 370 and the enforcement of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. This act led to the division of the state into two union territories; Jammu and Kashmir, as Ladakh.
A total of 18 counsels will be presenting arguments representing petitioners. Prominent lawyers Kapil Sibal and Gopal Subramanium are anticipated to conclude their arguments within 10 hours each while Advocates Shekhar Naphade and Zafar Shah are expected to present their cases for 8 hours each. Dushyant Dave and Chander Uday Singh are likely to complete their arguments within 4 hours each.
Following them, Dinesh Dwivedi, Prashanto Chandra Sen and Gopal Sankaranarayanan are expected to require around 3 hours each for their arguments. Advocates Sanjay Parikh and Rajeev Dhavan will allocate about 2 hours each to present their cases.
Moreover individuals seeking intervention will also be given a chance to present their submissions during the hearings. Senior Advocates Menaka Guruswamy and Nitya Ramakrishnan will represent two of these applicants.