India, Dec. 23 -- The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Monday granted the government additional time to file its objections to a batch of petitions challenging the administration's decision to declare 25 books as "forfeited" in the Union Territory.

A full bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli, Justice Rajnesh Oswal, and Justice Shahzad Azeem adjourned the matter to February 11 next year. The court made it clear that appropriate orders would follow if the government failed to submit its response by then.

The petitions have been filed by Shakir Shabir, Swastik Singh, David Devadas, CPI(M) leader Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak, and others.

One of the petitions, filed by Kapil Kak and others - includi...