SC turns down plea for urgent hearing in Dera Sacha Sauda case

New Delhi, May 28 (UNI) The Supreme Court today turned down a plea for an urgent hearing of a petition seeking protection to the units of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda and its followers across the country.

A Vacation rptg Vacation Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and D K Jain, who had on Friday asked the petitioners to mention their petition today for an urgent hearing, said the petition would be heard on June 4 as was fixed earlier.

''Since the deadline to close down the Dera by May 27 has already expired without any untoward incident there is no urgency involved in the matter,'' the Bench observed.

The petition was filed by a Dera trustee and its Vice-President Abhijit Bhagat and two others.

The petitioners contended that since the Punjab government had turned a blind eye to the deadline, they were forced to approach the apex court for the enforcement of the fundamental rights under article 21 of the Constitution.

UNI