SC agrees to hear plea seeking to declare 'Ram Sethu' a national heritage monument

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy mentioned the case of Ram Sethu for urgent listing on July 13

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would list for hearing BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking a direction to the Centre to declare the Ram Sethu a national heritage monument.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N. V. Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, which had agreed to list the plea for hearing on July 26, said it could not do so as one of the judges of the bench concerned had some health issues.

“We will list it,” the CJI told Mr. Swamy.

Mr. Swamy mentioned the case for urgent listing on July 13 and a few times in past as well.

Ram Sethu, also known as Adam's bridge, is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, and Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.

The BJP leader had submitted that he had already won the first round of the litigation in which the Centre accepted the existence of Ram Sethu.

He said the Union minister concerned had called a meeting in 2017 to consider his demand but nothing happened subsequently.