The Supreme Court is set to deliver its verdict today on multiple petitions challenging the revocation of Article 370 and the division of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories. A Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant will announce the judgment on Monday (December 11).

After a 16-day hearing, the apex court had reserved its judgment on September 5. The central government defended its decision to revoke Article 370, asserting that there was no "constitutional fraud" in abolishing the provision that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Representing the Centre, Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared before the bench. The government highlighted that Jammu and Kashmir wasn't the sole state to accede to India through instruments of accession. Numerous other princely states had also joined India after independence in 1947, and upon their merger, their sovereignty became integrated into that of India.

During the independence era, most of the 565 princely states, many situated in Gujarat, had various conditions related to taxes, land acquisition, and other matters, the central government informed the bench.

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