New Delhi, October 1: The five-judge bench of the Supreme Court's Constitution bench, headed by Justice NV Ramana, will begin the hearing of petitions from today challenging Article 370 repeal in Jammu & Kashmir. The individual petitions not only challenge the stripping of J&K's special status via an executive order, but also the subsequent "communication blockade" imposed in the Valley. Amit Shah Says 'Repeal of Article 370 a Move Towards Permanent Peace in Jammu and Kashmir'.

The special bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi was earlier petitioned to hear the cases on immediate basis as the fundamental rights of J&K residents are being allegedly compromised. The CJI-led bench had, however, refused to attend the case as it is already embroiled in another constitutional matter involving the Ayodhya title suit case.

The please against Article 370 was therefore allocated by the CJI to the bench headed by the Justice Ramana. The hearings will begin from October 1 itself, the Chief Justice said on Monday.

Article 370 was revoked from Jammu & Kashmir on August 5, days after additional troops were pumped into the Valley. A civil curfew was subsequently imposed and phone, mobile and internet lines were clamped down across J&K.

On August 6, the Centre introduced the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which bifurcated the disputed state into two union territories -- J&K and Ladakh. The latter would also include the region of Kargil. The bifurcation will come into effect from October 31.

Meanwhile, the apex court on Monday disposed off a plea filed by Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko seeking the immediate release of former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah. The 81-year-old has been detained under the rigorous Public Safety Act (PSA), which allows detention without trial for upto two years.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 01, 2019 08:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).