New Delhi: The contentious case in the Supreme Court questioning the scheduled tribe status of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and others which was scheduled to come before the bench headed by Chief Justice on Monday has been deferred again for next month.
The case already adjourned twice will now come up on October 10 before the bench of Chief Justice, apex court sources today said. The case has been deferred this time due to “excess matter,” sources said.
The advocate for the respondent no.6 Zenith Sangma had also sought time of four weeks to file counter affidavit.
Earlier the case was adjourned since one of the three-member bench of the apex court Fali Nariman was earlier advocate for the petitioners.
The Supreme Court had issued notices to the Meghalaya Government and seven others in the case related to the ST status of Chief Minister earlier. It had stayed the proceedings of the state level scrutiny committee and was to hear the case on Monday.
The other recipients of the notice of the apex court are- the Union Government, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, the Election Commissions of India, the Scrutiny Committee, Dr Sangma himself besides his Minister brother Zenith and sister Triptirani Sangma .
The apex court on January 20 this year had requested the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to verify and dispose off the case related to the ST status of Chief Minister within eight weeks on merit and in accordance with the law.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by All Northeast Indigenous Garo Law Promoters Association and one Tennydard M Marak seeking its direction to hold inquiry into the ST status of Sangma and cancellation of the certificate issued to him on June 23, 1982.The apex court combined both the petitions for hearing.