The Supreme Court last week indefinitely extended the deadline to link Aadhaar with services such as bank accounts, mobile phone and to procure a passport under the Tatkal programme. Arguments on behalf of those challenging the Aadhaar scheme and making the biometric number mandatory for various services such as bank accounts and mobile phones are likely to end before the Supreme Court this week. A Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra began hearing 30 petitioners on January 17. Attorney general K Venugopal will make his submissions on behalf of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) – the agency responsible for issuing the 12-digit unique identity number. He will begin after the petitioners conclude. The top court last week indefinitely extended the deadline to link Aadhaar with services such as bank accounts, mobile phone and to procure a passport under the Tatkal programme. Besides Aadhaar, the court is slated to hear a case related to deportation of Rohingya refugees who have fled the persecution in Myanmar. A bench led by Chief Justice Misra will examine the government’s latest affidavit filed in the case, denying the allegation that it was using chili spray stun grenades to push back the refugees along the Indo-Myanmar border. Nobody without valid travel documents can be permitted to enter India, the government has said reiterating its earlier stand that allowing the Rohingya to cross over would lead to security problems. The contentious Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land title dispute will be heard by a bench headed by the Chief Justice on March 23. A special three-judge bench had decided to determine whether a 1994 judgment, upholding the land acquisition for the disputed plot until the litigation ended, needs reference to a larger bench. Advocates representing Islamic organisations and parties have questioned the 1994 ruling because it had declared that a mosque is not integral to a Muslim’s right to religion. This, the parties contended, would have a bearing on the case and a bench of at least seven judges should relook it. In case the reference is made, the main title dispute will be put in abeyance. Several petitions challenging the insolvency proceedings against realtor Jaypee Infratech Limited would be taken up by a bench of Chief Justice. In February, the bench refused to stay the bidding initiated to raise money for completion of the developer’s delayed projects as part of its debt-resolution process. Subsequent to the court’s order, the company, one among the 12 against whom RBI has asked banks to file insolvency petitions, has deposited Rs 550 crore against its total liability of Rs 2,000 crore.