Kerala govt mulling all-party meet on Sabarimala
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12: The Kerala government is likely to convene an all-party meeting to discuss various matters relating to the Sabarimala temple, which has been rocked by the issue of entry of women in the menstrual age, ahead of the annual pilgrim season commencing this week.
"We are thinking of having an all-party meeting. We have not taken a final decision yet. There are plans...," Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran told reporters here.
The hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala opens on November 17 for the two-month long season in the backdrop of continuing protests against the Supreme Court order allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at the temple.
A batch of review petitions against the September 28 verdict that ended the ban on entry of women in the 10-50 age group into the shrine, will be heard Tuesday.
Surendran said a decision on the all-party meeting would be taken based on the outcome of the court hearing.
The temple and nearby areas had witnessed massive protests from devotees against the entry of young women into the shrine, when it was opened for monthly pujas on November 5 and 6 and for five days from October 17.
Over a dozen women under 50 had been prevented from reaching the temple.
The main opposition Congress had earlier urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to convene an all-party meeting before the annual Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.
Congress MLA K Muraleedharan had alleged that even basic infrastructure like toilets and drinking water for pilgrims was yet to be put in place at Sabarimala.
The devastating floods in August had caused severe damage to the infrastructure facilities at Pamba following which the base camp had been shifted to Nilackal.
"The facilities for the pilgrims will be completed before the start of the pilgrim season," Surendran added.
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ED seeks time to file reply on Jacqueline Fernandez's plea to turn approver in money laundering case
New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Monday sought time to file its reply on a plea by actor Jacqueline Fernandez seeking to turn approver in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar.
Special Judge Prashant Sharma posted the matter for further proceedings on May 8.
The court had earlier on April 17 issued notice to the agency after the actor's counsel filed the application.
Fernandez, who was summoned by the ED several times in connection with the investigation, was named as an accused for the first time in a supplementary charge sheet filed by the agency.
On July 3, last year, the Delhi High Court dismissed her petition for quashing the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in the money laundering case.
Two months later, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the high court's order.
Delhi Police had booked Chandrasekhar for allegedly duping the spouses of former promoters of Ranbaxy, Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh, of Rs 200 crore.
There are other ongoing investigations against him in several cases across the country.
Chandrasekhar and his wife, Leena Paulose, facing proceedings in a money laundering case, were arrested by Delhi Police along with others.
The police invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case.
Paulose and Chandrasekhar were alleged to have used 'hawala' routes and created shell companies along with other accused persons to park the money earned as proceeds of crime.
