Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar on Wednesday recused from hearing a Maharashtra government's original suit filed in 2004 challenging the transfer of Belgaum, now named Belagavi, to Karnataka in 1956.
Justice Kumar is the second judge this year, who has opted out from hearing the matter.
The matter was listed before a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Aravind Kumar on Wednesday.
Also Read | SC upholds HC's order quashing land acquisition for Vedanta University
A counsel mentioned the matter and apprised the bench that in the past some of the judges (from the two states, Maharashtra and Karnataka) had recused themselves.
Justice Kumar, who hails from Karnataka, recused himself from the hearing and now the matter will be listed before a bench where Justice Kumar is not a member.
“List before the bench of which one of us (Justice Aravind Kumar) is not a member," the order stated.
The matter will now go before the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on administrative side to assign a new bench.
In February this year, Supreme Court judge, Justice B V Nagarathna recused from the matter. After Justice Nagarathna, who hailed from Karnataka opted out of hearing the matter, another bench was set up to consider the issue.
Earlier, in 2019, Justice M M Shantanagoudar and Justice S Abdul Nazeer had recused themselves from hearing the case.
The Karnataka government had objected to the maintainability of the suit contending there existed no legal right within a state to challenge alterations of its boundary.