New Delhi: A Five-Judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi this morning referred the petitions seeking review of its previous judgment in the Sabarimala case to a larger Bench by 3:2 majority. In its September 2018 ruling, the Apex Court had lifted a ban on menstruating women from entering the Sabarimala Temple.
During the hearing this morning, Justice Gogoi, while reading the verdict on behalf of himself and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra, said the restriction of women into religious places is not limited to Sabarimala Temple and said a Seven-Judge Bench will decide all such religious issues relating to the Temple, allowing Muslim and Parsi women to enter religious practice, entry of women in mosques and practice of female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra community. However, Justices R.F. Nariman, D.Y. Chandrachud gave dissenting verdict in the case.
