Sc Adjourns Hearing Of Petitions Challenging Kashmir Lockdown Till September 16

Declining to pass any orders, the Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned till September 16 the hearing of petitions challenging the curfew measures imposed in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of the state’s special status. The bench consisting of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justices S A Bobde and Abdul Nazeer was considering the petitions filed by Anuradha Bhasin, Executive Editor of Kashmir Times against the media curbs and Tehseen Poonawalla against the curfew measures and detention of political leaders in the region.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the Kashmir Times Editor, submitted that due to severe media restrictions, the daily’s publication from Srinagar has stopped since August 5. Grover pressed for an interim order to direct the Centre to produce the notification under which the restrictions on media have been imposed. When she mentioned the incident of a doctor in Kashmir being intimidated for speaking to media about the medical emergency in the area due to the curfew, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta interjected to say “this is sensationalizing the issue”