SC declares right to privacy as Fundamental right: Here's the chronology of the case

The Supreme Court on Thursday declared right to privacy as a Fundamental right under the Constitution.

A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar ruled that right to privacy is protected intrinsically as part of rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Following is the chronology of Supreme Court hearings in the right to privacy case:

► July 7: Three-judge bench says issues arising out of Aadhaar should finally be decided by larger bench and CJI would take a call on need for setting up a constitution bench.

Matter mentioned before CJI who sets up a five- judge constitution bench to hear the matter.

►July 18: Five-judge constitution bench decides to set up a nine-judge bench to decide whether the right to privacy can be declared a fundamental right under the Constitution. Nine-judge bench (Chief Justice J S Khehar, Justices J Chelameswar, S A Bobde, R K Agrawal, Rohinton Fali Nariman, Abhay Manohar Sapre, D Y Chandrachud, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and S Abdul Nazeer) constituted to hear the privacy matter.

► July 19: SC says the right to privacy can't be absolute, may be regulated.

► July 19: Centre tells SC that right to privacy is not a fundamental right.

► Jul 26: Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab and Puducherry, the four non-BJP ruled states move SC in favour of the right to privacy.

► July 26: Centre tells SC that privacy can be fundamental right with some riders.

► July 27: Maharashtra government tells SC that privacy is not a "standalone" right, but it is rather a concept.

► August 1: SC says there has to be "overarching" guidelines to protect an individual's private information in public domain.

► August 2: SC says protection of the concept of privacy in the technological era was a "losing battle", reserves verdict.

► August 24: SC declares right to privacy as a fundamental right under the Constitution.