New Delhi, Jan 17 (UNI) The Supreme Court will hear on Friday a plea of two Kerala women who have entered Sabrimala Temple earlier this month seeking protection.
Faced with threats, the two women, Kanakadurga (44) and Bindu (42), who had entered the sacred hill shrine in the early hours of January2, had approached the Supreme Court seeking protection. The top court on Thursday agreed to hear their petition on Friday.
Senior lawyer Indira Jaising, representing the woman, on Thursday listed the matter before a bench comprising of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices L N Rao and S K Kaul.
“These two women face threat to their life and liberty... one of them was attacked and is in hospital... they want 24x7 police protection,” Jaising told a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. She also asked for their addresses to not be disclosed.
The plea also sought directions from the Apex Court to order all authorities concerning the Sabrimala temple to not to conduct the rite of purification or to shut the temple on account of any woman of the age of 10-50 having entered the temple.
In its landmark verdict on 28 September, the Supreme Court last year lifted the century-old ban on women in menstrual cycle to enter the Sabrimala temple. However, following the verdict, numerous attempts by several women to visit the temple, were foiled by protest by several locals and blockages by temple authority.
UNI XC PS 1730