SC to consider urgent hearing of pleas against Maratha quota law's validity

The apex court is seized of 5 petitions, including those filed by J Laxman Rao Patil and lawyer Sanjeet Shukla, challenging the Bombay HC's order which upheld the constitutional validity of the quota

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider according urgent hearing to petitions challenging the constitutional validity of a Maharashtra law that grants reservation to the Maratha community in education and jobs.     

A Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi took note of the submissions of a lawyer that the petitions which were to be listed for the hearing are not in the causelist of the apex court. 

"You give the memo. We will look into it," said the Bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, when the lawyer sought urgent listing of the case.

The apex court is seized of five petitions including those filed by J Laxman Rao Patil and lawyer Sanjeet Shukla challenging the Bombay High Court's order which upheld the constitutional validity of the quota. 

The Bombay High Court, in its June 27 order, had said the 50 per cent cap on total reservations imposed by the Supreme Court could be exceeded in exceptional circumstances.

Shukla, a representative of "Youth for Equality", in his petition, said the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, breached the 50-per cent ceiling on reservation fixed by the apex court in its landmark judgment in the Indira Sahwney case, also known as the "Mandal verdict".

The SEBC Act, 2018, was enacted to grant reservation to the Maratha community people in jobs and education.