Sabarimala: Solicitor General Refuses Permission For Contempt Action Against Head Priest, Others For Spearheading Protests

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has refused permission to initiate contempt action against Head Tantri of Sabarimala Temple, Pandalam Palace Trustee and Kerala BJP leaders for allegedly instigating disobedience against the Supreme Court ruling, Live Law has reported.

Two Kerala women, former SFI leader Geena Kumary and advocate A V Varsha had petitioned the Supreme Court against women being blocked from entering the temple despite the court verdict permitting entry to all women.

Varsha alleged contempt of court by Kantararu Rajeevaru, Head Tantri of Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, and Ramavaram Raja, Chairman of Trust/Committee that manages the affairs of the Pandalam Palace.

Geena Kumary, on the other hand, petitioned against P S Sreedharan Pillai, President of the State Committee of Bhartiya Janta Party, Muraleedharan Unnithan K G, leader of the Bhartiya Janata Party in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala and Kollam Thulasi, a movie artist. The petitioner alleged that they were orchestrating various marches, rallies, social media campaigns to resist the implementation of Supreme Court's order.

The Attorney General is required to provide consent before the contempt petition can be filed in the Supreme Court, as laid out in Part II Section 3(c) of Rules to Regulate Proceedings for Contempt of the Supreme Court, 1975.

Attorney General (AG) KK Venugopal has earlier withdrawn himself from the proceedings of contempt petitions filed on the Sabarimala women entry issue citing conflict of interest. Before becoming the AG, Venugopal had appeared in Sabarimala case for the Devaswom Board and was against women's entry in the temple.

The AG then handed over the pleas to solicitor general Tushar Mehta.