NEW DELHI: A fourth constitution bench to be headed by Justice S Abdul Nazeer will hear on Wednesday pleas challenging the Centre’s 2016 decision to demonetise notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. The pleas also challenged the validity of the order from November 2016 issued under RBI Act on the ground that it was violative of Articles 14, 19, 21 and 300A of the Constitution of India.
On December 16, 2016 a three judge bench of the SC had although refused to grant interim relief against the decision of demonetisation but had framed questions to be determined by a larger bench.
“Keeping in view the general public importance and the far reaching implications which the answers to the questions may have, we consider it proper to direct that the matters be placed before the larger Bench of five Judges for an authoritative pronouncement. The Registry shall accordingly place the papers before the Chief Justice for constituting an appropriate Bench,” the SC had said. The court had also stayed the proceedings in the pleas
challenging the policy, pending before HC’s and had issued notice on the transfer petitions moved by the Centre. The petitions were last listed in 2019. The bench which also comprises Justices BR Gavai, AS Bopanna, V Ramasubramanian and BV Nagarathna will hear pleas related to state’s power to regulate freedom of speech and expression which had arisen against backdrop of Bulandshahr rape incident and powers of MLA to claim immunity.