Make new law on Sabarimala temple matter: Supreme Court to Kerala govt

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Kerala government to bring about a new law for Sabarimala temple matter in four weeks.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice N V Ramana, B R Gavai and Subhash Reddy asked the state government to file a draft in four weeks and adjourned the matter for the 3rd week of January 2020.

The apex court was hearing a petition filed by Pandalam Royal Family seeking the protection of their rights.

The royal family was one among the batch of petitioners who had challenged top court's September 28, 2018 judgment, which declared that women of all age groups could enter the shrine.

The court had last week referred these review petitions to a larger seven-judge bench.

The apex court verdict came on 65 petitions - including 56 review petitions, four fresh writ petitions, and five transfer pleas. The petitions challenged the authority of the court to intervene in a belief of the people.

They argued that the Sabarimala deity is a "Brahmachari" (celibate) and "centuries-old beliefs" should not be disturbed by the entry of menstruating women worshippers.

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