Civil police officer collapses and dies at Pamba near Sabarimala temple complex

A 32-year-old civil police officer (CPO) posted near the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple complex, for security duty, collapsed and died on Saturday morning, police said. Though the CPO was rushed to the hospital from the police barracks, he was declared brought dead, they said.

Civil police officer dies in Pamba

The Malabar Special Police officer, Biju, hails from Perambra in Kozhikode and leaves behind wife and a seven-month-old daughter. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled his death. Amid tight security, the Lord Ayyappa temple has opened for the two-month long pilgrim season this evening, with the CPI(M)-led LDF government making all preparations to make it a hassle free pilgrimage.

READ | Sabarimala temple to open this evening

Sabarimala opens for mandalam

Kandararu Mahesh Mohanararu will open the sanctum sanctorum and perform the pujas. A K Sudheer Namboodiri would take charge as the Sabarimala Melsanthi and M S Parameshwaran Namboodiri as Malikapuram Melsanthi. The pilgrims would be allowed to climb the 18 holy steps after the padi puja and have darshan. The portals of the hill shrine, located in a reserve forest in the Western Ghats in Pathanamthitta district of the state, have opened for the two-month-long Mandalam Makaravilakku season this evening around 5 pm.

Devotees have started arriving at Nilackal and Pamba from various parts of Kerala and neighbouring states, but would be allowed to leave for the shrine only by 2 pm. The state and temple precincts had witnessed frenzied protests by right outfits and BJP workers last year after the LDF government had decided to implement the Supreme court's verdict of September 28, 2018, allowing women of all age groups to offer prayers at the shrine.

WATCH | Sabarimala authorities deny entry to 10 women devotees; police send them back from Pamba

Review Sabarimala verdict

The five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi Thursday said a larger bench will re-examine various religious issues, including the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple and mosques and the practice of female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra community. A 3:2 verdict decided to keep pending the pleas seeking a review of its decision regarding the entry of women into the shrine, and said restrictions on women in religious places was not restricted to Sabarimala alone and was prevalent in other religions as well. 

READ | Sabarimala: 'Govt to not provide permission for women activists' says Deveswom Minister

READ | Govt must read 'extremely important' dissent order in Sabarimala verdict: Justice Nariman