J&K national highway restrictions to stay; SC turns down petition

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the Jammu and Kashmir government's order restricting civilian traffic for a day in a week on a stretch of the national highway from Udhampur to Baramulla for the movement of security forces. Counsel for the Jammu and Kashmir government told the bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta that the order restricting traffic on the national highway was taken due to the ongoing election and will remain in force till May 31.

The bench, after hearing the submissions, said, "We are not inclined to keep this petition pending."