The Maharashtra government had in February told the Bombay HC that unless the Dargah Board is able to prove the ban with reference to the Quran, women should be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali. (Source: File Photo) The Maharashtra government had in February told the Bombay HC that unless the Dargah Board is able to prove the ban with reference to the Quran, women should be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali. (Source: File Photo)

The Bombay High Court will pronounce its verdict on a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the ban on the entry of women into the inner sanctum of the city’s famed Haji Ali Dargah on Friday. A two-judge division bench of the high court, comprising of Justice V M Kanade AMD and Justice Revati Mohite Dhere will pronounced the verdict.

The ban was imposed in 2012 by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust citing some religious traditions as the reason. The PIL was filed by women activists Noorjehan Niaz and Zakia Soman and the NGO Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan.

The Haji Ali Trust, as the respondent in the case, defended the ban saying that the entry of women in close proximity to the tomb of a male saint would be seen as a grievous sin in Islam.

The Maharashtra government had in February told the Bombay High Court that unless the Dargah Board is able to prove that the ban is a part of their religious practice with reference to the Quran, women should be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali.

The trust had claimed that separate arrangements have been made for women to walk up to a certain point from where they can offer prayers, but are not permitted to touch the tomb of a male saint as it is a sin in Islam.

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