While deferring the matter pertaining to the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949, the Supreme Court today indicated that the 9-judge bench verdict in the Sabarimala reference may come out by October 6 this year.

A batch of pleas challenging the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act was listed today before a bench led by CJI Surya Kant.

However, considering the unlikelihood of the same being taken up on account of a part-heard matter (the Shiv Sena case), some counsels mentioned the Bodh Gaya matter saying that it may be deferred until the 9 judge decision in Sabarimala matter comes out.

Acceding to the request, the CJI bench posted the Bodh Gaya matter on October 6. The 9 judge bench decision therefore in the Sabarimala case can be expected to come out by the said date.

After a 16-day long hearing, the Supreme Court had reserved verdict in the Sabarimala reference case on May 14. Besides CJI Kant, the bench comprised Justice BV Nagarathna, Justice MM Sundresh, Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Justice Aravind Kumar, Justice Augustine George Masih, Justice Prasanna B Varale, Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.

Read more about the Sabarimala Reference here.

Case: BHANTE ARYA NAGARJUN SHURAI SASAI AND ANR. v. UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.