New Delhi, November 9
The Supreme Court on Wednesday deferred to November 24 the hearing on petitions challenging the Centre’s November 2016 decision to demonetise currency notes of denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 after the Centre sought time to file its response.
“Normally, a Constitution Bench never adjourns like this. We never rise like this once we have started. It is very embarrassing for this court,” a five-judge Constitution Bench led by Justice S Abdul Nazeer said after Attorney General R Venkataramani sought time to file a comprehensive affidavit in the matter.
Venkataramani apologised to the Bench for not being able to prepare the comprehensive affidavit and sought a week for filing the Centre’s response.
“We could not get the affidavit ready. We require a very short indulgence of about a week’s time. The affidavit will be useful for all of us to proceed in some structured way. Otherwise, the course of action may be un-navigated. I will present it by Wednesday or Thursdayhellip;I am deeply sorry,” the Attorney General submitted.
Pointing out that four-week time was granted to the Centre for filing its response, Justice Nazeer said, “The time that you have been granted can’t be said to be insufficient time.”
Senior advocates Shyam Divan and P Chidambaram, representing petitioner Vivek Narayan Sharma and others, said it was highly unusual and embarrassing to ask a Constitution Bench to adjourn a matter.
The Bench ndash; which also included Justice BR Gavai, Justice AS Bopanna, Justice V Ramasubramanian, and Justice BV Nagarathna — granted one week to the Centre to file its comprehensive affidavit.
On December 16, 2016, a Bench led by the then Chief Justice of India TS Thakur had referred 58 petitions questioning the validity of the November 8, 2016 decision to demonetize currency notes of denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 and other related issues to a five-judge Bench for an authoritative pronouncement.
