A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also sought a response from the Central government to the plea. In 2022, the Central government declared PFI as unlawful under Section 3 of the UAPA and imposed a five-year ban on the organisation.

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The Centre had alleged that the outfit indulged in ‘unlawful activities’ which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country to invoke a ban on the group. In 2023, a UAPA Tribunal presided by then Delhi High Court Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma had upheld the ban, which the organization challenged in the Delhi High court.

The PFI counsel had contended that a petition challenging an order passed by the Tribunal under Section 4(1) of UAPA, 1967 is maintainable, and that the court should hear the matter.

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However, the Centre argued that the writ petition challenging an order of the UAPA Tribunal upholding the ban on the outfit is not maintainable under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India.