4 transgenders offer prayers at Sabarimala temple
Sabarimala, Dec 18 : Four transgenders, who were earlier stopped from proceeding towards the Lord Ayyappa temple, Tuesday offered prayers at the hill shrine under a heavy police security cover.
Ananya, Trupti, Renjumol and Avanthika, clad in traditional black sarees and carrying the customary "Irrumudikettu"(sacred offerings to the deity), were escorted by police from Nilackal to Pamba and during the trek to the shrine.
They said they were extremely happy to have got the opportunity to offer prayers at the temple and that this was their life's mission which had been realised.
They had met DGP A Hemachandran, a member of the Kerala High Court-appointed supervisory panel, and Inspector General of Police Manoj Abraham here Monday after which they were allowed to proceed.
The police had earlier turned them away, saying that they had to get some legal clarity on the issue.
The state had witnessed massive protests by devotees opposing the entry of girls and women in 10-50 age group into the Sabarimala temple since the Kerala government decided to implement a Supreme Court order, permitting women of all age groups into the shrine.
Over a dozen women have so far made unsuccessful attempts to trek the holy hills.
The high court had earlier this month appointed the three-member committee, vesting them with powers to oversee law and order and other problems faced by pilgrims during the ongoing annual season.
Meanwhile, the shrine witnessed a big crowd of pilgrims Tuesday.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
