SC notice to Centre, J&K on NH44 traffic restrictions

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government on a plea against restrictions imposed on traffic on National Highway 44 in view of Pulwama attack wherein 44 CRPF personnel were killed.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna sought a response from the Union government as well as the state government on a writ petition filed by Srinagar resident Muzaffar Shah and another.

The petitioners claimed putting restrictions on the movement of citizens violated their fundamental rights. A counsel pointed out the citizens were being allowed to move after putting a seal on their hands by security forces.

The state government had already eased the restrictions limiting it to only on Sundays from April 22.

The restrictions were imposed on April 7 following the killings of the CRPF personnel by a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber.