Not Just Karnataka: Tweeple Recall SC’s Midnight Session for Yakub

In an extremely rare event, the Supreme Court on Thursday, 17 May, made a post-midnight decision, where it refused to stay Bharatiya Janata Party-fielded B S Yeddyurappa's swearing-in as the new Karnataka chief minister.

However, this wasn’t the first time that the court had opened its doors to matters of jurisdiction post-midnight. In 2015, a few hours before Yakub Memon, an accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts was to be hanged, his lawyers had approached the court around 2 am, in a final attempt to try and save him from the execution.

As reported by India Today, the Supreme Court registry had rushed to the residence of the then Chief Justice of India and a midnight hearing was conducted in court number 4.

Following the court’s action on Thursday midnight, twitterati embarked on a discussion regarding its post-midnight hearing on the day Memon was hanged, comparing the circumstances under which the apex court opened its doors at such odd hours. 

Only two occasions SC worked through midnight! One was to decide about Yakub Memon's life & now to save Rahul's polotical career & ATM yet he targets judiciary!! Arey it was the same CJI who you wanted impeached baselessly - who set up the matter to be heard through the night! https://t.co/cLa7FLrMov

— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) May 17, 2018

According to the report, the 90-minute hearing, which saw Memon’s lawyers challenging the decision to hang him, started at 3:20 am and ended at 4:50 am.

Although the court eventually turned down the lawyers’ plea to save Memon, the fact that it had willingly agreed to hear it in the first place, at the unusual time post-midnight, was greatly lauded as a kind of “victory of justice”.

Another such case was in 2014, when lawyers of Surinder Koli, who was handed the death sentence for the infamous Nithari killings, moved the Supreme Court in the final hours before his hanging in Meerut.

Three pillars of the democracy awake and and performing their duties - the Judiciary, the executive and the media. Post midnight hearing second time in recent times - first for rights of terrorist Yakub Memon and now for rights of people of Karnataka #KarnatakaCMRace

— navika kumar (@navikakumar) May 16, 2018

However, many questioned the urgency of the current matter.

Rohatgi: In Yakub Memon, I argued from 2 am to 5 am because the man was going to hanged at 6 am Here, what is the urgency? The question of 15 days for floor test can be decided in the next 2 or 3 days

Anoop Chaudhary: Here Constitution is going to be hanged

— Krishnadas Rajagopal (@kdrajagopal) May 16, 2018

While many praised the Indian judiciary’s willingness to hold a hearing regarding a matter of “justice” in the nocturnal hours post-midnight, several also claimed that it is seems like a bit of a favour to the Congress party.

Maybe
But the last words were alarming..
It was not for Rights of Karnataka but the benefit of congress..

— Mօɖɨʄɨɛɖ Rɛռʊ (@renu_18) May 17, 2018

(With inputs from India Today)

(The Quint is now on WhatsApp. To receive handpicked stories on topics you care about, subscribe to our WhatsApp services. Just go to TheQuint.com/WhatsApp and hit send)