[dropcap]T[/dropcap]HE Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a batch of petitions challenging the Centre's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and dividing it into two Union Territories..All the matters relating to the changes made in Article 370 of the Constitution and subsequent developments in the restive border state have been listed for hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi..The court is likely to hear pleas seeking the removal of curfew restrictions and communication blockade in the state, allowing media persons, journalists to carry out their professional duties without any hindrance..The petitions regarding changes made to Article 370 have been filed by advocate ML Sharma, National Conference MPs Mohd Akbar Lone and Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi. They have challenged the changes made in the constitutional relation between Union of Indian and state of Jammu and Kashmir by the Centre..On Wednesday, they were joined by former IAS officer Shah Faesal and former JNU student leader Shehla Rashid and several others including eminent persons like Radha Kumar, who was a Kashmir interlocutors in UPA government..A similar petition has also been filed by CPM leader Sitaram Yechury seeking production of his party colleague Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami who has been detained by the authorities like several other political leaders in Kashmir Valley.
