Fact Check: Are Supreme Court Benches Being Set Up In Metro Cities?

New Delhi: States have long been demanding regional benches of the Supreme Court as it is often difficult for people living in remote areas to travel all the way to New Delhi.

A viral post claimed that the central government is mulling establishing benches of the apex court in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

The post reads: “Congratulations to Prime Minister Modi. The Central Government has decided to expand the branches of the Supreme Court to three locations, Chennai, Mumbai and Calcutta for the first time since independence. A great move for those who have to travel to Delhi to approach the SC.”

However, this post is fake. The Centre has taken no such a decision and the matter is still pending before the SC.

In 2015, the then Chief Justice HL Dattu had advocated against any such step. “We will not open any branch of Supreme Court at any other place,” he had said.

There have been proposals to split the top court into two – a Constitutional Court at Delhi and Court of Appeal or federal courts in North, South, East, West and Central India.

Recently, delegates from bar councils of five southern states had met with CJI NV Ramana and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu to ask for a Supreme Court bench in South India. Naidu, himself, had also suggested to make four regional benches of SC.

Article 130 of the Constitution empowers the CJI to constitute regional benches of the apex court.