The Supreme Court today (February 22, 2019) issued notice to the Central government and ten states on a plea against alleged attacks on Kashmiris in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror strike on February 14, 2019, leading to the loss of lives of forty CRPF Personnel.

A Bench comprising of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and JusticeSanjiv Khanna was hearing a petition filed by Tariq Adeeb, a practicing lawyer through Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves.

Attorney GeneralK.K. Venugopal, for the Centre, told the court that Nodal Officers had already been appointed to address the issue of attacks on Kashmiris.

Taking into consideration the submission made by Venugopal, the Bench issued notice to the Centre and ten states and directed the Nodal Officers appointed by the Centre to take steps to prevent acts of threat, intimidation, social boycott, and assault on Kashmiris.

Further, the Bench ordered the DGPs of states to ensure that such violence does not take place.

The ten states are - Bihar, Chattisgarh, Haryana, J&K, Meghalaya, UP, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Punjab and Maharashtra.

The petition, mentioned a day before for early listing sought the court to direct the Centre to “forthwith take steps to prevent threats, assaults, violent attacks, social boycotts, ostracism, evictions and other coercive acts committed by groups and mobs against Kashmiris and other minorities, particularly in the wake of the Pulawama attack.”

The court has listed the matter for further hearing on February 27, 2019.