The Supreme Court on Thursday said that it will take up a plea of gender activist Bindu Ammini next week. Ammini is seeking a direction from the court to allow women into Sabarimala temple in Kerala.

The case has been listed for next week. The bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said: “There is a larger bench now. The September (2018) verdict is not the final word in this issue.”

Ammini had entered the temple last year under cover of darkness and provided protection given by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front Government.

CJI Bobde accepted the plea filed on behalf of Ammini by Senior Advocate Indira Jaising.  The advocate told Bobde that Ammini was beaten up outside the office of the police commissioner when she tried to enter the Sabarimala temple recently.

“Bindu was attacked with some chemical substance right outside the office of Commissioner of Police,” Jaising said, adding “the Kerala state authorities are not allowing women to enter the temple despite the Supreme Court’s specific order allowing women of all age to enter the temple.”

September Last

The Supreme Court in September last year in a majority verdict 4:1 had permitted women of all age groups to visit the Sabarimala temple. The court had said that bias on biological grounds was an infringement of fundamental rights like the Right to Equality. Though recently, the top court had accepted review petitions against the 2018 verdict and said a larger bench will hear the matter.

—India Legal Bureau