Two women who entered Sabarimala approach SC seeking protection

The two women, who made history by entering the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, have approached the Supreme Court seeking protection.

Kanakadurga, 39, and Bindu Ammini, 40, approached the court saying that their lives and liberty are in danger, and that one of them was already in the hospital after being attacked.

The Supreme Court will hear their plea on Friday.

Kanakadurga and Bindu are the first women, below the age of 50, to enter the hilltop shrine after the Supreme Court order granting entry to women of menstruating age.

Kanakadurga, who is a government employee, was attacked by her mother-in-law and was admitted in a hospital on Tuesday. A case was filed against her mother-in-law Sumathi, who also claimed that she was attacked by Kanakadurga.

Bindu Ammini, a lecturer of law at Kerala’s Kannur University, has been facing the wrath of right-wing organisations ever since she entered the temple. Her daughter is reportedly not able to attend school as she fears an attack from RSS workers.

The two had gone into hiding after entering the temple on January 2. Their entry had led to widespread violence and harthal in Kerala.

Women in the menstrual age group of 10 to 50 years were traditionally barred from visiting the Sabarimala temple. However, the Supreme Court had, on September 28, lifted the ban on entry of women in the barred age group. This had led to widespread protests across Kerala. 

The apex court was expected to start hearing Sabarimala review petitions from January 22, but according to reports, this may not happen as one of the judges is on medical leave. 

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that Justice Indu Malhotra, the lone woman judge on the five-judge Constitution Bench that had delivered the verdict in the Sabarimala case, is on leave on medical grounds.