The Mumbai High Court on Friday formed a special bench of three judges to hear petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the law providing Maratha reservation following a directive by the Supreme Court.
The law was at the center of political discourse during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections last year with a provision to provide 10 percent reservation in education and government jobs to the Maratha community with about one-third population of Maharashtra.
In a notice issued on Friday, the High Court said that in the state of Maharashtra, Justice Ravindra Ghoge, Justice NJ Jamdar and Justice Sandeep Marne are formed to hear and decide public interest petitions and other petitions related to the Social and Educationally Backward Classes in the state of Maharashtra.
However, the date does not mention the date on which day the bench will hear the petitions.
Last year, a full bench headed by former Chief Justice of the High Court DK Upadhyay started hearing on several petitions challenging the law on the basis that the Maratha is not a backward community which needs the benefit of reservation.
The petitions also claimed that Maharashtra has already crossed the 50 percent limit of reservation. However, the hearing stopped after Chief Justice Upadhyay was transferred to the Delhi High Court in January this year.
On 14 May, the Supreme Court directed the Mumbai High Court to set up a special bench and hear the case immediately.
