SC to hear next week plea of woman who was stopped from entering Sabarimala temple

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear next week the plea of a Kerala woman alleging that she had been prevented from visiting the Sabarimala temple despite the apex court's verdict allowing women of all age groups entry into the shrine.

A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant took note of the submission of senior advocate Colin Gonsalves that the woman had not been allowed to visit the historical shrine.

A five-judge Constitution bench, by a majority of 4:1 in its verdict delivered in September last year, had allowed girls and women of all age groups to visit the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala, saying that discrimination on physiological grounds was violative of fundamental rights like the Right to Equality.

Gonsalves alleged that despite the apex court verdict, the woman was prevented from entering the shrine and was rather mockingly asked to get an order from the apex court with regard to her entry.

"We will list the petition next week," the bench said.

Recently a woman activist, Bindu Ammini, and one Fathima have been prevented from entering Sabarimala temple and these incidents have been widely reported in local media.