New Delhi
Expressing “shock” over the submission of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (Srinagar) questioning the state’s accession to India, the Supreme Court on Wednesday made it clear that it didn’t want to go into the political reasons behind the protests in the state.

“We are slightly shocked,” a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said after lawyers representing the Bar Association questioned the state’s accession and accused security personnel of pursuing a “catch-and-kill” policy.

As the Bench took exception to their affidavit, Bar president Mian Abdul Qayoom and another senior counsel from Srinagar said the court itself had asked it to explain the reasons behind the protests in Kashmir. They went on to tell the court that successive elections since the state’s accession to India had been rigged and there were historical reasons behind the unrest.

“If this court really wanted to know the reasons behind the protests, then it was a mistake,” CJI Misra said while hearing a petition filed by the J&K HC Bar Association (Srinagar) challenging an order of the state HC dismissing their plea for a ban on the use of pellet guns.

It was CJI Misra’s predecessor Justice JS Khehar who had asked the Bar Association to explain the reasons behind the protests and suggest ways and means to resolve the problem.

The CJI’s comments came after Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar demanded dismissal of the petition, objecting to their submission that termed the accession of the state to India as “mysterious”.

“They want us to talk to those indulging in violence… And they are questioning the very accession with India… They have described it as mysterious way of accession…,” Kumar had told the top court on August 21.