The Supreme Court on Thursday referred the Sabarimala case for review to a seven-judge bench. The ruling was made a five-judge bench led CJI Gogoi. Justices Chandrachud, Nariman dissented, LiveLaw reports.
Gogoi said cases on female genital mutilation and Muslim women’sn entry to mosque had also been referred to a larger bench before.
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The court said the entry of women into places of worship is not limited to the Sabarimala temple, it also involves entry of women into mosques, Bar&Bench quoted.
As many as 65 petitions ― including 56 review petitions and four fresh writ petitions and five transfer pleas ― were filed after the Supreme Court’s verdict sparked violent protests in Kerala.
The Kerala government has deployed over 10,000 security personnel in preparation for the Sabarimala season which will begin on Saturday, November 16, Mathrubhumi reports.
In its September 2018 judgement the top court had lifted the ban which prevented women and girls between the age of 10 and 50 from entering shrine in Kerala. The court had called the ban illegal and unconstitutional.
A constitution bench had heard pleas and parties in favour and against a review of the verdict in an open court, including the Nair Service Society, the thantry of the temple, the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Kerala government.
A five-judge headed by CJI Gogoi—with RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra as members—had reserved its decision on February 6.