New Delhi: Hearing a batch of petitions related to the unprecedented closure of Metro stations and disruptions in train services in wake of the recent protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (October 13) extended the time granted to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government to file its response till Thursday (October 15), reported Press Trust of India.While a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana was scheduled to hear the matter on Tuesday, the bench later deferred the hearing to Thursday.CJI Kant told lawyers that Justice Mohana was unwell but still came to the court, following which solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta said that health issues should not be ignored and urged the bench to adjourn the hearing.“The affidavit is ready. I would like to add something to make it more comprehensive,” said SG Mehta.SG Mehta Besides the Solicitor General, senior advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Menaka Guruswamy, Arundhati Katju, C.U. Singh, Nitya Ramakrishnan and Indira Jaising appeared in the proceedings.The court also issued notice on a fresh petition filed by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) challenging Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, which grants immunity to the CEC and other Election Commissioners in relation to certain acts undertaken in the discharge of their official duties.The apex court also asked for the presence of a senior Delhi police officer to respond to the plea of women journalists alleging police assault during protest coverage, reported LiveLaw.Earlier, the Supreme Court on Sunday (October 11) had issued notices to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), railway authorities and the Delhi Traffic Police on a contempt plea alleging violations of its October 9 order on restrictions on transport and internet services in the capital during the recent protests.The court had sought affidavits and a compliance report from the authorities, as petitioners alleged that restrictions imposed during the October 10 protests had effectively shut down essential transport services and curtailed the movement of people.