'Committee set up on restoration of 4G service, no contempt made'

New Delhi: The Centre and Jammu and Kashmir administration told the Supreme Court on Thursday that a special committee has been set up as per the court's directive to consider the issue of restoration of 4G internet services in the Union Territory.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, while claiming that incidents of terrorism are on the rise there, told a bench headed by Justice N V Ramana that no contempt is made out against the authorities as they have complied with the directives of the apex court.

On May 11, the top court had ordered setting up of a "special committee" headed by the Union Home Secretary to consider pleas for restoration of 4G internet services in J-K, saying national security and human rights need to be balanced in view of the fact that the UT has been "plagued with militancy".

High speed internet in J-K has been suspended since August last year when the Centre had announced revocation of its special status and bifurcation of the state into two UTs -- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

During the hearing on Thursday, the bench, also comprising Justices R S Reddy and B R Gavai, asked the Centre and the J-K administration to file affidavits within a week detailing the setting up of committee and also decisions taken by it in reviewing the orders restricting 4G internet services there.

"Attorney General for India undertakes to file reply affidavit to the contempt petition within a week's time. He is permitted to do so. List the matters after one week, the bench said in its order.

The apex court was hearing a plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the Union Home Secretary and Chief Secretary of J-K for their alleged "wilful disobedience" in complying with the court's May 11 order.

Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the petitioner, claimed that the order has not been complied with and the authorities were not responding to the representations filed against the suspension of 4G internet services.

He said since orders passed by the authorities are not being published, nobody can challenge them before the

court.