Picture : Twitter/ ANI
The Supreme Court today gave a split verdict on petitions challenging the ban on hijabs worn by some Muslim women in schools and colleges in Karnataka.
The case is being heard by Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia.
The court has now reserved its judgement on the pleas against the Karnataka High Court judgement refusing to lift the ban on hijab on September 22 after hearing arguments for 10 days.
While Justice Hemant Gupta dismissed the appeals against the high court verdict, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia allowed them.
“There is divergence of opinion,” Justice Gupta said at the outset while pronouncing the verdict.
In view of the split verdict, the bench directed that the appeals against the high court verdict be placed before the Chief Justice of India for constituting an appropriate larger bench.
“It’s a matter of choice, nothing more, nothing less,” says Justice Dhulia while pronouncing the order. Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia allowed the appeals and set aside the Karnataka High Court order.
In view of a split verdict by Supreme Court, the order of the Karnataka High Court will remain applicable in the interim time, Advocate Barun Sinha representing the Hindu side told ANI
The operative part of the order says that the matter has to be placed before the Chief Justice of India for the constitution of a larger bench or another bench: Advocate, Ezaz Maqbool, lawyer for the petitoner side told ANI
