NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday will pronounce its verdict on the central government's action which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud will pronounce the verdict. It is interesting to note that the verdict comes when Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, a member of the bench and a Kashmiri Pandit, is about to retire on December 25.

The Centre not only abrogated Article 370 of the constitution which granted special status, but also divided into Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The court has 23 petitions against the central action. The hearing was held for 16 days.

Arguments arose about whether the central government had the authority to take action. The petitioners alleged that the people of Kashmir were not consulted. The Centre had responded that Jammu and Kashmir had returned to normalcy after a three-decade-long conflict. Youth for Panun Kashmir, an organization of Kashmiri Pandits, reached the court in support of the Centre.

Caution in Kashmir

Security has been tightened in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the verdict. A meeting of top officials in Srinagar assessed the situation. National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah, who opposes the central action, said that he expects a favorable verdict for Kashmir.