Nine-judge SC bench to hear issue of women's entry in Sabarimala temple from Jan 13

A nine-judge Constitution bench of Supreme Court is scheduled to commence on Monday hearing a batch of pleas on issue of allowing women of all s to enter Kerala's Sabarimala temple, along with or contentious issues of alleged discrimination against Muslim and Parsi women.

nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde will hear a batch of 60 petitions. or judges on bench are Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan, L Nswara Rao, M M Shantanagoudar, S A Nazeer, R Subhash Reddy, B R Gavai and Surya Kant.

nine-judge bench has been set up after a five-judge bench headed by n CJI Ranjan Gogoi, by a 3:2 majority verdict, referred matter to a larger bench while examining review petition filed against historic September 28, 2018 judgement which had allowed women of all s to enter Sabarimala temple.

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Besides Justice Gogoi, Justices A M Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra ( lone woman judge on bench) were in majority while Justices R F Nariman and D Y Chandrachud had penned down a mirity verdict on vember 14, 2019.

Of nine-judge bench, which will hear matter from Monday, re is judge from previous bench. top court had on January 6 issued a tice informing about listing of batch of petitions seeking review of 2018 judgement.

While referring matter to a larger bench, five-judge bench had however said that debate about constitutional validity of religious practices like bar on entry of women and girls into a place of worship was t limited to Sabarimala case.

top court said such restrictions are re with regard to entry of Muslim women into mosques and 'dargahs' and Parsi women, married to n-Parsi men, being barred from holy fire place of an Agyari.

It said it was time for apex court to evolve a judicial policy to do "substantial and complete justice".

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