Sabarimala Case: In Majority Verdict, Supreme Court Refers Review Petitions to 7-Judge Bench

However, the top court also ruled that there would be no stay on the September 28, 2018 judgement which lifted a nearly three-decade-long ban on the entry of women in the age group of 10-50 in the shrine, located in the state of Kerala.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday gave its judgement on review petitions filed against its ruling in September 2018 on the Sabarimala case, sending all review pleas to a seven-judge bench by a 3-2 majority.

Supreme Court, by a majority of 3:2, has referred the review petitions to a larger constitution bench. Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and Justice DY Chandrachud gave dissent judgement. #Sabarimala https://t.co/xBcxf6bFeV

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2019

However, the top court also ruled that there would be no stay on the September 28, 2018 judgement which lifted a nearly three-decade-long ban on the entry of women in the age group of 10-50 in the shrine, located in the state of Kerala.

The September 28, 2018 judgement of the Supreme Court – which had lifted the ban that prevented women and girls between the age of 10 to 50 from entering the #Sabarimala Temple – was not stayed by the apex court today. pic.twitter.com/FyW0Zzku4F

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2019

A five-judge Constitution bench led by then-Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra had delivered the verdict in a 4-1 majority. The bench also comprised Justices Nariman, Chandrachud, AM Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra, all of whom were on the present bench as well. Justice Malhotra was the dissenting judge in the original order.

On Thursday, reading out the order, outgoing CJI Ranjan Gogoi observed that entry of women in places of worship was restricted not just to Sabarimala, but also involved entry of women into mosques as well as Parsi temples.

However, dissenting against the judgement, both Justices Nariman and Chandrachud observed that the Supreme Court verdict binds everyone and organised acts of resistance to thwart its judgement cannot be allowed.

Violence had broken out in Kerala after last year’s verdict as well as in January after two women made history by finally entering the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine.

The order on review petitions was reserved in February. The Sabarimala Temple will open on November 16, amid high security, for the next three months.