Supreme Court to consider hearing pleas challenging CAA after Sabarimala case

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it will hear pleas challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) after the conclusion of hearing in the Sabarimala case. Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Central government on Thursday, told a bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde that Centre will file its reply within two days.

'A hearing for two hours may be required for arguments'

CJI Bobde asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal to mention the matter again after Holi break after Sibal mentioned the petitions for urgent listing. Sibal said some interim orders are required in the case and a hearing of two hours may be required for arguments. CJI Bobde said the Bench will consider its listing after the Sabrimala matter.

The top court had earlier issued notice to the Central government seeking its response on the pleas challenging the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Over a hundred petitions have been filed in the apex court for and against the amended citizenship law, which is being protested against at several places across the country.

The amended law grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who fled religious persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan and took refuge in India on or before December 31, 2014.

A nine-judge bench is re-examining various religious issues, including the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple and mosques, and the practice of female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra community.

Supreme Court to set up a vacation bench

The apex court will go on a week-long Holi break next week before reopening on March 16. The Supreme Court on Thursday said it will set up a vacation bench for the seven-day Holi break to hear urgent matters. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it will not be on the day of Holi but during the week. Till now, the apex court had a vacation bench during the summer break of nearly two months.

READ | Supreme Court dismisses fourth and last curative petition filed by Nirbhaya rapists

READ | Plea in Supreme Court alleges fake social media handles root cause of riots; seeks removal

A vacation bench of the Supreme Court is a special bench constituted by the Chief Justice of India under the Supreme Court rules under Rule 6 of Order II of The Supreme Court rules, 2013. The court takes two long vacations each year, the summer and winter breaks, but is technically not fully closed during these periods.

READ | Supreme Court paves way for virtual currency; Bitcoin to be now used in India

READ | Supreme Court dismisses Fadnavis' plea in 2014 Poll Affidavit case; Ex-CM to undergo trial

(With agency inputs)