SC to hear pleas for review of Sabarimala verdict on Feb 6

New Delhi: A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court would hear on February 6 a batch of petitions seeking review of its judgment allowing entry of women of all age groups into Kerala's Sabarimala temple.

As per a notice uploaded on the apex court's website, the review petitions would be heard by a constitution bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra.

On September 28 last year, a five-judge constitution bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in a 4:1 verdict had paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination.

On November 13 last year, the apex court had agreed to hear in open court in January this year the pleas seeking review of its verdict, but had refused to stay the judgment.

However, on January 22, the top court had said it may not start hearing the pleas, seeking review of Sabarimala verdict till January 30 as one of the judges of the bench, Justice Indu Malhotra, was on medical leave.

Justice Malhotra, the lone woman judge in the bench, had delivered the dissenting judgment in the case last year.

There are around 48 pleas seeking review of the judgment and they were filed following the violent protests in favour and against the September 28 verdict.

The top court had earlier made it clear that fresh pleas related to the matter would be heard only after it decides the pending pleas, seeking review of the judgment.