SC orders security for 2 Kerala women who entered Sabarimala

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 18

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Kerala Government to provide security to two women who recently entered Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala in the state despite protests by Hindu groups.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi directed the Kerala Government to give security to Kanak Durga and Bindu after senior advocate Indira Jaising contended they were being hounded and one of them was assaulted by her mother-in-law.

The Bench, however, rejected her plea to tag this petition with the petitions seeking review of the Constitution Bench verdict lifting age restrictions regarding entry of women into Sabarimala Temple.

The Kerala Government counsel told the Bench that 50 women had entered the Sabarimala Temple since the top court's historic verdict allowing entry of women irrespective of their age.

The petitionera had sought round-the-clock security to both the women due to threat to their life. The plea sought directions to all authorities to allow women of all age groups to enter the temple without any hindrance.

The petitioners have also sought a direction to the authorities to ensure that no purification rituals are conducted after entry of women. Such rituals were conducted by the Temple priests after women in the age group of 10 to 50 years entered Sabarimala under police protection.

But the Bench refused to go into it.