Sabarimala Temple verdict: The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined an urgent hearing of petitions seeking recall of a Constitution Bench judgment allowing entry of women in the age group of 10 to 50 years into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi declined the plea. A review plea is considered by the judges of the bench that had delivered the verdict.


The Nair Service Society (NSS) and others had moved the top court on Monday (October 8) seeking the recall. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has said that it would take steps for implementing the judgment.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph had considered the submission of Shylaja Vijayan, president, National Ayyappa Devotees Association through Mathews J Nedumpara, which contended that the five-judge Constitution bench verdict lifting the ban was "absolutely untenable and irrational".

A five-judge constitution bench headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, had in its 4:1 verdict, said banning the entry of women into the shrine is gender discrimination and that the practice violates rights of Hindu women.