Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice Gogoi on Friday directed the Kerala Government to give adequate protection for Bindu and Kanaka Durga, two women who had entered Sabarimala on Janaury 2.
The state police should ensure security to their life and property, ordered the bench, also comprising Justices Nageswara Rao andd Dinesh Maheshwari.
Senior Advocate Jaising submitted that the women were living under constant fear, and they needed police protection and security from the agitated mob who protest their temple entry.
The Bench has rejected Indira Jaisingh's request to tag the plea with the review petitions.
Counsel for Kerala Govt has submitted that the State is giving adequate security to them. He also informed that 51 women have entered Sabrimala temple after the landmark Judgment of the Supreme Court lifting ban on the women's entry.
It was submitted in the petition that their entry to temple in exercise of the right declared by the Supreme Court for women of all ages to enter Sabarimala had triggered off violent protests across the state. Earlier this week, Kanaka Durga was hospitalised after sustaining injuries allegedly inflicted by her in-laws who were peeved with her temple entry.
All women who wish to visit the temple should be assured protection and security to enable them to undertake the pilgrimage without danger to life and liberty, the petition said. On Thursday, the attempt of two other women to enter the temple got foiled after protests erupted in the trek path.
Plea against Purification ceremony
The petition has also sought a prayer to direct authorities not to conduct the rite of purification or to shut the temple on account of entry of women in the age group of 10 to 50 years. It seeks a declaration that such purification ceremonies violate the constitutional ban on untouchability as per Article 17.
Following the entry of these women on January 2, the head priest of the temple had closed it for an hour or so to perform ceremonies, which were allegedly for purifying the defiling effect caused to the temple and deity due to women entry.
