May not start hearing in Sabarimala case till Jan 30 as Justice Malhotra on leave, says SC

The Supreme Court Tuesday said it may not start hearing pleas seeking a review of the Sabarimala verdict, allowing women of all age groups to enter the temple, till January 30 as one of the judges is on medical leave.

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.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that Justice Indu Malhotra, the lone woman judge of the five-judge constitution bench which delivered the verdict allowing all women inside the Sabarimala temple, is on leave till January 30 "due to some medical reasons".

Justice Malhotra had delivered the dissenting judgement in the case.

Lawyer Mathews J Nedumpara, appearing for the National Ayyappa Devotees' Association (NADA), mentioned the matter before the bench, which also comprised Justices L Nageswara Rao and Sanjiv ...