A two-judge Division Bench reserves verdict on plea moved by rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs.

Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday directed the State Assembly Speaker not to take a decision on the defection notices issued by him to rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs supporting him till July 24.
Upon completion of the hearing on the writ petition moved by Mr. Pilot and 18 dissident Congress MLAs challenging the Assembly Speaker’s notices, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta reserved the verdict for July 24.
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The Sachin Pilot camp has, thus, got a respite from the court for another three days.
The Division Bench heard the case for three days. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mr. Pilot and the other Congress legislators, concluded arguments for the petitioners on Tuesday.
The dissident MLAs had moved the court on Friday amid the infighting in the state unit of the Congress, as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his now sacked deputy Mr. Pilot tussled for power.
The Bench also allowed the application of intervener Public Against Corruption (PAC), an NGO, during the hearing. The NGO had filed the application on Monday.
Counsel for the Speaker Abhishek Singhvi on Monday argued that the petition was premature as a decision was yet to be taken on disqualifying the MLAs from the House. There is no scope for interference by a court over the show-cause notices issued by the speaker, he had said.
The notices to the MLAs were served after the party complained to the speaker that the lawmakers had defied a whip to attend two CLP meetings last week on Monday and Tuesday.
The Pilot camp, however, argues that a party whip applies only when the assembly is in session.