FirstUp: Supreme Court’s verdict on Article 370… The big news today

It’s time to feel the Monday blues again! December is drifting at such a fast pace that 10 days of the month have already passed. The last month of the year continues to unravel key developments. Today (11 December) is a big day for courts as several important cases are going to come up. The Supreme Court will announce its verdict on a clutch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019. The suspense over Madhya Pradesh’s next chief minister could end today. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the three states in the Hindi heartland – MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh – in the Assembly elections held last month. Here’s a brief overview of what is likely to unfold over the day. Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud will deliver the verdict on the constitutional validity of the Centre’s decision to scrap Article 370, which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir . The other members of the bench are Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjeev Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant. Besides revoking Article 370 on 5 August 2019, the Central government had also bifurcated the then-state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature) a few days later. [caption id=“attachment_13485032” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Article 370 of the Constitution gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. PTI File Photo[/caption] After hearing the petitioners and the Centre on the issue for 16 days this year, the apex court had reserved its verdict in the matter on 5 September. As per reports, CJI Chandrachud and Justice Kaul have authored two separate judgements for the bench. Madhya Pradesh Legislature Party meet MP is expected to get a new CM as the BJP’s newly-elected 163 members meet and select their leader in the presence of central observers. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, BJP’s OBC ‘Morcha’ head K Laxman and its secretary Asha Lakra are the party’s central observers for electing the leader of its legislative party in Madhya Pradesh. The BJP, which swept MP polls, had entered the fray without projecting a chief ministerial face. The incumbent, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, could be replaced this time. The names of Prahlad Patel, Narendra Tomar, Kailash Vijayvargiya and BJP MP chief VD Sharma are doing rounds for the top job. Other key cases in courts The Delhi High Court will hear a defamation case filed by the recently expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey and Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai in connection with the cash-for-query allegations. Moitra had filed a lawsuit against Dubey, her estranged partner Dehadrai and several media houses for accusing her of “taking bribes” from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions in Parliament. Later, she had dropped the names of media houses from her defamation suit. [caption id=“attachment_13483692” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] TMC’s Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha for ‘unethical conduct’. PTI File Photo[/caption] The TMC leader was expelled from the Lok Sabha on 8 December after a report from its Ethics Committee found her guilty of “unethical conduct”, and recommended her expulsion. The ethics panel had investigated the alleged cash-for-query case on Dubey’s complaint. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is expected to submit its report on the findings of a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex before the Varanasi district court. On 1 December, the court had given an additional 10 days to ASI to submit its report. Varanasi District and Sessions Judge Ajaya Krishna Vishvesha mentioned in the order, “…taking into consideration facts and circumstances of the case, I find it proper to grant 10 days more time to ASI to file the report in the court. This court expects that within the provided time, the ASI shall positively file the report and will not seek further time.” The ASI had sought three more weeks to give the report, saying its “experts are working hard to cross-check, correlate and compile the findings.. but completion and preparation of the detailed survey report is going to take some more time”. Gujarat to host Sports Startup Conclave Seven sports startup companies will take part in the Pitchbook Competition during India’s first-ever Gujarat Sports Startup Conclave today, which is being organised at the TransStadia University in Ahmedabad. The seven shortlisted startups will present their business ideas and products to a panel of  judges acclaimed in the field of sports.