New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has asked the Solicitor General Government of India to talk to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and see on what grounds lecturer Zahoor Ahmed Bhat has been suspended.
Senior Advocate during the hearing of Article 370 on Monday attracted the attention of the Chief Justice of India informing the top court that Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, the academic who came to the Supreme Court and argued for a few minutes was suspended from the faculty on August 25. He took leave for two days, went back, and was suspended.
Sibal said that he is sure Advocate General will look at it. Reacting to the Sibal’s remarks, the Chief Justice of India asked the Advocate General to look into the matter.
The Solicitor General according to the news agency Kashmir News Trust said that he has checked after reading the newspapers. “What is reported in the newspapers may not be the whole truth, he said adding that there are other issues. He appears in various courts and there are other issues. “We can place it before the court.”
Advocate Sibal argued that he should have been suspended earlier, why now? “This is not fair. This is not how our democracy should function,” said Sibal.
“Just see what has happened. Someone who appears in this court is suspended now. Have a look into it. Talk to LG,” the Chief Justice of India directed the Advocate General.
Chief Justice of India continued saying: “If there is something else, then it’s different. But why such close succession to him appearing and then getting suspended?
Justice SK Kaul added to it saying there is close proximity between the arguments and the (suspension) order.
Solicitor General Mehta responded and admitted that: “the timing (of suspension) is definitely not proper, I bow down.”
Reacting to the suspension order of Zahoor Ahmed Bhat, Justice Gavai said: “If it’s during appearance, that may be retribution. What happens to so much freedom?
Lecturer Zahoor Ahmed who argued in the Supreme Court saying that he feels embarrassed when students ask him if Jammu Kashmir is still a democracy after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 was suspended a couple of days ago by the LG administration. He was currently posted at the Government Higher Secondary School Jawahar Nagar. [KNT]
