| HC pulls up Govt for delay in PIL on ST status, warns of action | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 16: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on Monday pulled up the UT Government for failing to file its response in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) related to Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and warned that appropriate orders would follow in case of further default.
A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice Arun Mittal and Justice Rajnesh Oswal was PIL filed by the Jammu Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee through its president Gurdev Singh. Despite repeated opportunities, the respondents had not filed their reply and again sought adjournment.
Though the Bench observed that there was hardly any justification to defer the proceedings further, it adjourned the matter to March 23, 2026, after Ms. Monika Kohli, Senior Additional Advocate General, appearing for the UT Government, undertook to ensure that the reply would be filed at least three days prior to the next date of hearing.
During the course of hearing, Mr. Siddhant Gupta, Advocate, appearing for the petitioner, placed on record a communication dated February 4, 2026, issued by the Social Welfare Department, Civil Secretariat, Jammu & Kashmir. The communication stated that the Pahari Ethnic Group (PEG) has been granted Scheduled Tribe status across the entire Union Territory on the basis of ethnicity and not geographical location, under the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Act, 2024 and S.O. 176 of 2024.
The Bench took the document on record and marked it as 'X', and granted liberty to the Government counsel to seek instructions and, if necessary, file a specific affidavit on the issue before the adjourned date.
The court made it clear that failure on the part of the respondents to comply with its directions would invite appropriate orders in accordance with law. (JNF) |
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