SC directs Jammu and Kashmir to produce orders on restrictions

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Jammu and Kashmir administration to place those orders before the court under which communications were restricted in the valley after abrogation of Article 370 which granted special status to J&K.

The top court also questioned why the J&K administration has not placed the orders and notifications imposing communication restrictions in the state.

Representing Jammu and Kashmir, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana that he would place the administrative orders relating to communication restrictions to be examined by the top court only.

Mehta also said that nobody can sit in appeal of administrative decisions taken in national interest. "Only the court can look into it and certainly not the petitioners," Mehta said.

He also told the court that he will also an file a fresh affidavit as circumstances relating to restrictions have changed.

The bench noted that mobile services have been restored in J&K, however, one of the counsel of the petitioners told the court that SMS services were restricted by authorities on Tuesday.

The court was hearing various petitions on issues related to restriction of movement and communications including one by Kashmir Times Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin.