May 15, 2025 – A Supreme Court Bench, during the hearing of the petitions filed challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, today, directed that the matter will now be heard for interim relief on May 20, 2025. The Bench comprised of Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih.

The last hearing was on May 5 under former CJI Sanjiv Khanna who had deferred the matter to be placed before Justice Gavai, who took over office as CJI yesterday, May 14.

More than 100 petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court calling the amendments to the Waqf Act "infringment upon the rights of Muslims". India's Apex Court had restricted the petitions to five and further clarified that the restrictions were only on number of pleas and not on number of lawyers.

During today's hearing, Supreme Court Bar Association president and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for the government suggested that the case can be heard on a later date as the CJI may not have had time to read the brief. Also Solicitor General Mehta suggested it may not be “practical today”.

The Bench today ruled that further hearing will be devoted to the case on Tuesday. May 20, 2025.

Additionally, the Court made it clear that during the May 20 hearing it will not hear any petition seeking stay of the provisions of the  earlier 1995 Waqf law but will consider question of interim relief in the pleas challenging the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025..