Court gives time to parties to file replies before next date.
Jammu,Feb 6- The J&K High Court today fixed March 20th , the next date for final hearing in the significant MLAs nomination case, filed by Mr Ravinder Sharma,former MLC & Chief Spokesperson of J&K Congress.
The Division Bench of J&K High Court comprising Mr Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Mr Justice Rajesh Sekhri, after a brief hearing of the plea of Solicitor General Shri Tushar Mehta appearing for respondents,regarding short extension to file the reply to the case,directed the parties to complete the pleadings ( reply and counter reply) before the next date & fixed march 20th, as the next date for final hearing.
Senior Supreme Court Lawyer Dr Abhishek Manu Singh alongwith Mr D K Khajuria while appearing for the petitioner Mr Ravinder Sharma, suggested March 20th for final hearing, which the DB accepted & fixed with the mutual the mutual consent of parties ,while directing that the pleadings I.e reply by the respondents and rejoinder,if any, by petitioner, be completed , before the next date.The court observed that the bench shall be available for full day for hearing the matter, on the next date .
Meanwhile,an application seeking impleadment as party respondent/ permission to intervene in the PIL was moved one Ravinder Singh retd JKAS officer and Gurdev Singh,President Jammu Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee, through Adv S S Ahmed.
The applicants who are residents of Pojk and migrated to this side during 1947,submitted that since the matter is of wide public importance, they may be impleaded as party respondents or allowed to intervene to be afforded opportunity of being heard.
They submitted that their application that respondents should have given due representation in the legislature out of 24 seats reserved for POJK but instead only one seat has been earmarked for POJK displaced persons by virtue of the impunged provision,challenged in the PIL.
The court observed that matter of PIL is of wide public importance, hence anyone can be heard. Now the petitioner shall be required to file reply to their plea, before next date.
Petitioner in the PIL Mr Ravinder Sharma ,former MLC & himself a lawyer, was also present in the court ,during the proceedings of the case.The case shall nowv come up on March 20th ,next for final hearing.