The executive magistrates can run mobile courts for two weeks more, as the Supreme Court yesterday extended for two weeks its earlier stay on a High Court verdict that declared unconstitutional the rules under which executive magistrates run mobile courts.

A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order following three separate leave to appeal petitions challenging the HC verdict.

In the petitions filed on July 2, the government sought an extension of the SC's earlier stay order for four weeks.

The apex court bench adjourned the hearing on the leave to appeal petitions for two weeks.

Delivering a verdict on three writ petitions on May 11, the HC declared unconstitutional the rules under which executive magistrates run mobile courts.

On May 14, the government filed the three separate provisional leave to appeal petitions with the SC, seeking a stay on the HC judgment.

Following the petitions, the SC chamber judge on that day stayed the HC verdict till May 18 and sent the petitions to its full bench for hearing them.

The SC full bench on May 21 extended the stay order till July 2 and asked the government to submit three separate leave to appeal petitions with this court against the HC verdict by July 2.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam moved the leave to appeal petitions before the apex court while barrister Hassan MS Azim was present for the writ petitioners yesterday.