3 Judge bench of SC to hear batch of pleas challenging constitutional validity of CAA on 31 Oct

way2barak, Sept.12: The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, UU Lalit along with Justice S Ravindra Bhat sat down to hear around 200 petitions challenging constitutionality of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019. The Supreme Court fixed the hearing on October 31 and said it will refer the case to a three-judge Bench.

Chief Justice Lalit asked the parties, including the Centre, to draw a “road map” highlighting the issues involved in the case, their division into various segments and the formulation of questions of law. During the hearing on Monday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that several issues have been raised in the petitions filed before the top court. Mehta said some time would be required for preparation and also for the hearing the matter.

A total of 220 petitions were listed for hearing, including the lead plea by the Indian Union Muslim League. It said the Act violates the fundamental Right to Equality and intends to grant citizenship to a section of illegal immigrants by making an exclusion based on religion.

Several other petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the amended law, including by RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamul Congress MP Mahua Moitra, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All Assam Students Union (AASU), Peace Party, CPI, NGO ‘Rihai Manch’, advocate M L Sharma, and law students have also approached the apex court challenging the Act.

The CAA fast-tracks the citizenship- by- naturalisation process for “illegal migrants” from six religious communities, other than Muslims, who have fled persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.