Supreme Court to take 'in-chamber' decision for early hearing on Article 35-A validity

Advocate Bimal Roy sought urgent hearing of the petition, saying the court had earlier ordered listing of the matter in the second week of Jan.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would take an "in-chamber" decision on listing of a petition challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35-A, which provides special rights and privileges to permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

Advocate Bimal Roy Jad mentioned the matter before the bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and also comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Sanjiv Khanna.

He sought urgent hearing of the petition, filed by 'We The Citizens', saying the court had earlier ordered listing of the matter in the second week of January.

In August, the apex court adjourned hearing on a batch of petitions challenging Article 35 A till January this year, after taking note of submissions of the Centre and the state government that there was a law and order problem in the state.

Article 35-A, which was incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential Order, accords special rights and privileges to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and bars people from outside the state from acquiring any immovable property in the state.