The Supreme Court of India (SCI) refused to take a call on the constitutional validity of the Centre's move to scrap 'Article 370', a special status granted to the Occupied state of Jammu and Kashmir.

After a 16-day-long hearing, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on September 5.

The 2019 declaration was "a culmination of the process of integration and as such is a valid exercise of power", the Supreme Court said in its verdict.

The move was accompanied by the imposition of direct rule from New Delhi, mass arrests, a total lockdown and communication blackout that ran for months as India bolstered its armed forces in the region to contain protests.

Modi's muscular policy has been deeply controversial in Kashmir, but was widely celebrated across India, with the insurgency that claimed tens of thousands of lives over decades largely quietened.

The move was challenged by Kashmir's pro-India political parties, the local Bar Association and individual litigants, culminating in Monday's verdict.

The court upheld removing the region's autonomy, but said Jammu & Kashmir should be restored to the same statehood as any other Indian state -- with no separate autonomy rights -- "at the earliest and as soon as possible".

The court ordered state elections to take place by September 30, 2024.

Pakistan, AJK rejects SC verdict

Pakistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir politicians rejected the Supreme Court of India verdict on Article 370 revoking the special status of the AJK.

India's Modi welcomes Kashmir court ruling as 'beacon of hope'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed a "historic" Supreme Court decision to uphold his government's revocation of the limited autonomy of Muslim-majority Kashmir.

The ruling was "a beacon of hope, a promise of a brighter future and a testament to our collective resolve to build a stronger, more united India", the Hindu nationalist leader posted on X, formerly Twitter.