Five judges of the Supreme Court began hearing petitions challenging its verdict that opened the doors of Sabarimala temple to women, setting off massive street protests in Kerala by traditionalists and triggering a political slugfest between the CPI(M) and the BJP.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi is heading a five-judge constitution bench that is hearing the case which was scheduled to be heard on January 22 but had to be postponed as Justice Indu Malhotra was on medical leave.

The top court’s verdict last September had sparked major protests by devotees of Lord Ayyappa against the entry of women and girls between the ages of 10 and 50 years on grounds that women of reproductive age should not be allowed into the temple dedicated to the celibate god.

Here are the highlights:

3:01pm IST Supreme Court reserves verdict on Sabarimala review pleas The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on Sabarimala review pleas after a five-judge bench heard the matter.





2:33pm IST ‘Scriptures do not exclude women’ Sriptures do not exclude women, the Sabarimala Board said standing its ground in Supreme Court.





2:24 pm IST Devaswom board supports entry for women of all ages in Supreme Court Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the Devaswom board, says the board supports entry for women of all ages in Sabarimala temple.





1:28 pm IST Kanaka Durga returns home with court order Thrown out by family for entering Sabarimala, Kanaka Durga returns home with court order



Read @ANI story | https://t.co/UNOgnCRmFV pic.twitter.com/diBHKrF0KF — ANI Digital (@ani_digital) February 6, 2019





1:03pm IST ‘If it’s a denominational temple only then question of essential practise will arise’ “If it’s a denominational temple then only the question of essential practise will arise, submits Kerala government. “Jagannath temple is unique in it’s practise and yet this court has held it’s not a denominational temple... similarly Kashi vishwanath and tirupati have been said not to be denominational,” it said.





1:00 pm IST ‘Inconsistencies in different judgements cannot be included in review jurisdiction’ “Inconsistencies in different judgements cannot be included in the review jurisdiction. Also, non consideration of arguments is not a ground for review at all. Several review petitions say their arguments we’re not concerned. This cannot be a complaint and cannot be termed as an error on record to say arguments were not considered,” said judges.





12:58 pm IST Kerala opposes the review Kerala says its opposing the review. There was also a consensus of judges on three issues - One that Sabarimala is not a denominational temple, second aspect was that a person’s eight to worship in a temple is taken away together for a major part of that person’s life, third aspect was that the rule violated the act governing temples itself.





12:22 pm IST Can’t hear all 54 review petitioners: Supreme Court The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it cannot hear all 54 review petitioners in the Sabarimala temple case, and will restrict itself to eight to nine petitioners.





11:27 am IST Untouchability has nothing to do here: V Giri “Untouchability has nothing to do here. Entry (to Sabarimala temple) is sought to be prohibited only due to nature of deity. It is not an exclusionary practice,” said advocate V Giri appearing for the priest.





11:17 am IST Exclusionary practice in Sabarimala based on character of deity: Advocate appearing for Nair Service Society Senior advocate K Parasaran appearing for the Nair Service Society said ‘the exclusionary practice in Sabarimala is based on the character of the deity.’





11:05 am IST Supreme Court begins hearing The Supreme Court Wednesday commenced hearing on pleas seeking review of its verdict which had allowed women of all ages entry into Kerala’s Sabarimala temple. Senior advocate K Prasaran, appearing for Nair Service Society, opened the arguments before a five-judge bench and sought setting aside of the verdict. The review petitions are being heard by a Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra. There are 64 cases being heard in total, out of which some are review petitions and some transfer petitions.





10:45 am IST ‘Everything will be solved’: Kanaka Durga Kanaka Durga says, “I got the court order&I could enter my house. I’m happy. I could not see my children today, but I hope I can see them next time. I don’t have any difficulty to stay with them, they are not ready to stay with me. Everything will be solved.”





10:20 am IST 5-judge bench to hear petitions The five-judge constitution bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. Justices Rohinton Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra are part of the bench.





9:40 am IST Sabarimala review petition: A chronology of events The Supreme Court is all set to hear review petitions against its verdict allowing women of menstruating age to enter Kerala’s famed Sabarimala shrine, an order that snowballed into a major issue in the state . Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi will head a five-judge constitution bench which will hear the case which was scheduled for hearing on January 22 but had to be postponed as Justice Indu Malhotra was on medical leave. Complete timeline of the case here.





9:16 am IST Congress had come under criticism after Rahul Gandhi’s support for verdict The Congress had come under flak after Rahul Gandhi who had earlier argued that all women should be allowed to enter the Sabarimala temple changed his stance saying he cannot take an “open-and-shut position” on the issue as there is validity in the arguments of both the sides.



