Bindu and Kanakadurga who entered Sabarimala move SC, seek police protection

Kanakadurga and Bindu, the two women aged below 50 who entered Sabarimala Temple earlier this month, have moved Supreme Court seeking protection and action against protesters who are indulging in violence. This comes days after 39-year-old Kanakadurga was attacked by her mother-in-law when she returned home after visiting Sabarimala. The two women, both aged under 50, became the first women to enter Sabarimala on January 2 after the Supreme Court’s verdict lifting the ban on the entry of women.

On Thursday, senior advocate Indira Jaising appeared for the two women in the apex court before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and mentioned the matter for urgent hearing. The bench has agreed to hear their petition on Friday, January 18.

Mentioning their plea for urgent hearing, senior advocate Indira Jaising told a bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi that one woman was law teacher while other is a government employee.

In their petition, the women have sought that the court “issue a write of Mandamus directing (the government) to provide full security to Petitioner 1 and 2 (the two women) who have entered the temple and to deal with protesters indulging in acts of violence, physical and/or verbal on social media or otherwise against them."

The petition also seeks that the court issue an order directing all authorities to allow women of all ages to enter Sabarimala temple without any let or hindrance. The petition also seeks that the authorities be directed not to conduct the rite of purification or to shut the temple on account of any woman of the ages 10 to 50 having entered the temple.

Two days ago, Kanakadurga, who works as a civil supplies employee Kanakadurga was hospitalised after she was attacked by her mother-in-law with a wooden plank. She had sustained a head injury and was admitted to a hospital in Perinthalmana in Malappuram district.

The two women’s entry into the Sabarimala temple had triggered statewide protests and the women had to stay in hiding until it was safe for them to return home.

On Wednesday, two other women below the age of 50, Reshma Nishanth and Shanila Satheesh, who attempted the Sabarimala trek early that morning were stopped by protesters at the hill and had to abandon the climb.

On September 28, the Supreme Court had lifted the ban on the entry of women between the ages 10 and 50 into the Sabarimala temple.