NEW DELHI: None of the members of the nine-judge Constitution bench that will hear a reference on the Sabarimala verdict from January 13, was part of the five-judge bench that delivered the original 4:1 judgment allowing the entry of women of all ages into the shrine.
READ HERE | Nine-judge SC bench to hear case of allowing women of all ages in Sabarimala temple on January 13
The earlier bench had justices Indu Malhotra, A M Khanwilkar, Rohinton Nariman and DY Chandrachud. It was first led by then chief justice Dipak Misra and later by Ranjan Gogoi. They heard the main matter as well as the review petitions.
The new bench has Chief Justice of India S A Bobde as its head. It includes justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan, L Nageswara Rao, Mohan M Shantanagoudar, S Abdul Nazeer, Subhash Reddy, Gavai and Surya Kant.
While hearing the review petitions, justices Nariman and Chandrachud dissented from the majority opinion that made the reference to a larger bench. Justice Malhotra was the sole dissenter in the 2018 judgment. She was against disturbing the Sabarimala temple tradition.