SC refers pleas against abrogation of Art 370 to Constitution bench, says they will be listed in Oct

The Supreme Court on Wednesday referred a batch of petitions challenging the changes in Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional status by abrogating provisions of Article 370 to a five-judge Constitution bench.

The apex court, which said the petitions will be listed for hearing in the first week of October, also issued notices to the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration on the batch of pleas challenging the presidential order abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi did not agree with the Centre that there was no need for issuing notices in the matter as Attorney General K K Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta were marking their presence in the court.

"We will refer the matter to a five-judge Constitution bench," said the bench while not accepting the argument that the notices would have a "cross-border repercussion".

The bench also comprised Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer.

The attorney general said whatever was being said by the court was sent before the United Nations (UN).

As the counsel appearing for both sides were involved in arguments and counter-arguments, the bench said, "We know what to do, we have passed the order, we are not going to change."