SC to consider special bench to hear Delhi govt’s pleas on power

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to consider setting up a five-judge constitution bench to urgently hear the AAP government’s appeals against the high court order holding the Lieutenant Governor as the administrative head of Delhi.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led government has been seeking early adjudication of its appeals against the Delhi High Court verdict, after a two-judge bench of the apex court on February 15 referred them to Chief Justice J S Khehar for setting up of the larger bench. “We will post it and consider setting up the bench,” a bench comprising the Chief Justice and Justice D Y Chandrachud said, when senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, representing the Delhi government, mentioned the matters for early adjudication.
Subramanium said a two-judge bench had earlier referred the appeals to a constitution bench which is to be set up. The bench, which assured Subramanium that it would consider setting up the bench, also said, “…this is a very difficult and complicated problem. However, we will do it”.
The Delhi government had on February 23 and April 17 approached the apex court for setting up of the constitution bench and once, the CJI had said it might be set up “possibly” after the summer vacation. (PTI)