Indian SC asks media to give govt time to lift curbs in Kashmir

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India was on Friday hearing a bunch of petitions against the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir when four of the seven petitions were found to be defective. Hearing a petition moved on the restrictions against journalists, the court said that the government is lifting restrictions and there should be trust on the security agencies, reports foreign media.

Hearing a petition filed by Kashmir Times editor Anuradha Bhasin, CJI Gogoi said, "I have read in the papers today that by today evening (Friday) landlines will be restored and internet will be restored. Let us give it some time."

Arguing for the Centre, the Attorney General said, "The Kashmir Times is being published every day from Jammu. We are lifting restrictions day after day. Why can't they publish from Srinagar? Other papers are publishing."

A total of 7 petitions were brought before CJI Gogoi's bench on Friday and four had to be sent back to be cured of defects. An upset CJI Ranjan Gogoi lambasted petitioner ML Sharma and said that the court had to break the Ayodhya bench to hear the petitions and they have not even been filed in order.

CJI Ranjan Gogoi said, "I read your petition for half an hour but could not understand what is this petition about." He further asked, "What is this petition? This is simply not maintainable. What kind of petition is this?"

After the defects are cured, these petitions on Article 370 may be again heard next week. Speaking on the defective petitions, the Solicitor General told the court that urgent hearing on this matter will have ill effects.