New Delhi: In a big setback for the Nitish Kumar led Bihar government, the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to lift the stay ordered by Patna High court on state government ambitious caste census exercise.
A two-judge bench comprising Abhay S Oka and Rajesh Bindal declined to give relief to Bihar government noting Patna High Court has listed the final hearing on July 3.
The apex court, however, agreed to list the case for hearing on July 14.
The Patna High Court had stayed the caste census exercise undertaken by the Bihar government till July 3.
In an interim order while hearing the petitions filed against the caste Census a bench of Patna High Court Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Madhuresh Prasad gave its verdict after completion of arguments on the matter.
The next hearing in the matter will be on July 3, till then there will be a stay on the process caste census. However, the court said that the data collected will be kept secure.
The second and last phase of the caste-based census is going on in Bihar. Now the clouds of crisis have loomed over the ambitious project of Nitish Kumar.
Also Read: Patna High Court puts stay on Caste-Census, next hearing on July 3
