Delhi, August 02: The Supreme Court is hearing from August 2 a batch of petitions challenging abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that bestowed special status on the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. A five-judge constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud is conducting day-to-day hearings from today.

The Bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant, had on July 11 fixed July 27 as the deadline for filing written submissions and convenience compilations by different parties. The five-judge Bench had said the hearing will be held on a day-to-day basis except on Mondays and Fridays, which are days for hearing miscellaneous matters in the apex court. Only fresh petitions are taken up on these days for admission hearing and regular matters are not heard.

Speaking to news agency ANI National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said that “We are hopeful of getting justice. We are here on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the hope that we can prove that what happened on August 5, 2019 was unconstitutional and illegal.”

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It had said the Centre’s affidavit with regard to the conditions prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir after August 5, 2019, notification repealing Article 370 will have no bearing on the constitutional issue to be adjudicated by the five-judge Bench. On that day the Centre had stripped the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.