Women's entry to Haji Ali: SC to hear plea against Bombay High Court's verdict

The Supreme Court will hear the appeal by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust challenging the Bombay High Court's decision to allow women in the internal portion of the Dargah.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear the appeal by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust challenging the Bombay High Court's decision to allow women in the internal portion of the Dargah. 

The matter will be taken up for hearing by the apex court on October 7th. 

Meanwhile, Bhumata Brigade leader Trupti Desai expressed her confidence in the apex court to come through for women's equality. 

"I am hardly worried as I am sure the Constitution will emerge victorious again and women will win here as well," Desai said. 

In August this year, the Bombay high Court had lifted the ban imposed on women from entering the inner sanctum of Mumbai's Haji Ali Dargah. Noorejahan Fiaz and Zakia Soman, founders of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), had petitioned the Bombay High Court against the ban calling it unconstitutional. 

The ban enforced in 2011 violated the women's right to freedom of religion enshrined in Article 25 of the Constitution. The PIL stated that gender justice in inherent in the Quran, and there is no prohibition on women visiting graves. 

Prior to 2011, the Dargah did not force any discrimination against women and allowed free entry of people across the religion. On March 2011, the Dargah board of trustees imposed a ban on women's entry, calling it a grievous sin. 

It is a sin as per Islam for women to be in close proximity of a male Muslim saint's grave. 

On July 10, 2015, Bench headed by Justice VM Kanade sets aside previous order framing eight questions by an earlier bench of HC on maintainability and decided to hear PIL on merits.