Karnataka hijab ban: split verdict by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a split verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the hijab ban imposed by the Karanataka government on girls attending eductional institutions.

In view of split verdict on hijab ban, a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia directed placing appeals against Karnataka HC order before CJI for constitution of larger bench.

While Justice Hemant Gupta dismissed appeals against Karnataka HC verdict refusing to lift ban on hijab in educational institutions of state, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia says allowed appeals.

The bench had reserved its verdict on the pleas on September 22 after hearing arguments in the matter for 10 days.

On March 15, the high court had dismissed the petitions filed by a section of Muslim students of the Government Pre-University Girls College in Karnataka's Udupi seeking permission to wear the hijab inside classrooms, ruling it is not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith.

Also read: SC to deliver verdict on Karnataka hijab ban row: the case so far