The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear review petitions in an open court on its own verdict of allowing women of all age groups to enter Sabarimala Temple. The court will hear 49 petitions challenging the ruling on January 22.
However, the court has not ordered any stay on its earlier verdict.
The court in September had ruled that women of all ages must be allowed in the hill shrine, ending centuries old ban that prevented women between age group of 10 to 50 years from entering the shrine.
Over a dozen women tried to access the shrine but failed, even with heavy police escort.
Since the temple opened – the first time after the apex court’s ruling – no women between 10 to 50 age group had made it to shrine because of the massive protests by those who opposed the judgment of Supreme Court and forcefully stopped women before the temple.
On October 9, the top court had declined an urgent hearing on the review plea filed by an association which had contended that the five-judge Constitution bench’s verdict lifting the ban was “absolutely untenable and irrational”.
