E-Paper
Woman moves SC over Sabarimala, accuses state govt, police of contempt
Bindu Ammini, one of two women who entered the Sabarimala temple in Kerala earlier this year, has approached the Supreme Court alleging that Kerala government, its
Bindu Ammini, one of two women who entered the Sabarimala temple in Kerala earlier this year, has approached the Supreme Court alleging that Kerala government, its Chief Secretary and various Police officials have committed gross contempt of court by failing to ensure safe passage of women to Sabarimala temple irrespective of their age.
Ammini, in her plea, narrated her own ordeal when she recently attempted to visit Sabarimala again and said she was attacked with a “chemical substance”. Indeed, videos of the incident show a man dressed in the coloured dhoti pilgrims to the shrine of Ayappa wear, spraying a substance at her eyes.
A Kerala government spokesperson said the government reply will be sent to the court if and when it is asked to file a response.
Ammini planned to visit Sabarimala along with certain other devotees from Maharashtra including Trupti Desai, the social activist who campaigned for entry of women to Shani Shingnapur temple. Bindu went to receive Trupti Desai at Cochin airport on November 26. The two women booked an Uber taxi for their onward journey to Sabarimala from the airport.
She alleged that staff of a television channel created a ruckus at the airport and when the driver arrived in his cab, he was forced to cancel the trip.
Ammini and the others then proceeded to the Police Commissioner’s office seeking police protection to travel to Sabarimala but this wasn’t forthcoming, her application in the apex court maintains.
While coming out of the Commissioner’s office, Ammini alleges that she was attacked with a “chemical substance having burning sensation”.
“The police were onlookers; they did not detain the person who attacked the applicant even after the applicant pointed him out,” the application said.
Ammini’s petition said a second request for police protection, this one made by her lawyer, was also turned down.
These acts of the government and other police officials violate the Supreme Court order of November 13, 2018 in which the court made it clear that there is no stay on its judgment of September 2018 by which it allowed entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala.
“The state Government, its Chief Secretary and Director General of Police and various Police officials are all in gross contempt of the Orders of this Hon’ble Court as they acted against the mandate of Article 144 of the Constitution of India and intentionally disobeyed the Order dated 13.11.2018 ”.
Ammini has asked the Supreme Court to direct the Kerala government to ensure safe passage of women to the Sabarimala temple, regardless of age or religion.
On September 28, 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a law barring entry of women in the age group of 10-50 years into the hill shrine in Kerala. Subsequently, attempts to implement the judgment of the court met with stiff resistance leading to violence in the state. Both the BJP and the Congress opposed the verdict of the court.
The Supreme Court ruled on November 14 that a seven-judge bench would review the 2018 judgement, but expanded its scope to include similar issues in three other cases relating to Muslim and Parsi women.
