Courts are "always available" for common citizens, said the Supreme Court today as it sought to allay the impression that its Registry does not care for timely listing of matters.
"Why do you say that Registry has not listed the matter? What makes you think so? The court is already overloaded and there may be some matters which could not have been listed. Do not go that far. There may be reasons, may be some judge may not be available on a particluar day," a bench, comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Navin Sinha, said.
The remarks came when the bench wanted to know from senior advocate Shyam Divan "why this second petition, when you have alreay filed a plea earlier seeking similar reliefs."
The bench was referring to the fresh petition filed by him when there were pending pleas in the apex court relating to the Aadhaar matter and seeking identical reliefs.
Divan said the pleas for interim reliefs were not listed for hearing before the court by the apex court registry.
At the fag end of the hearing, the bench said, "Please do not think that the court is not available for common citizen. Court is always available for the citizens. This court is open to all."
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi also reminded that pleas seeking similar relief were pending and the matter is to be heard by a five-judge constitution bench.
Rohatgi referred to the historic pre-dawn hearing in the apex court in the Yakub Memon matter and said he was called by the court at 2 AM for hearing the case.
The Attorney General also said that 115 crore Aadhaar cards have been issued till date and not even a single person has come to the court that he has been deprived of any benefit scheme due to want of Aadhaar.
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