Sabarimala Temple: Woman Activist Bindu Ammini Attacked With Pepper Spray

KOCHI: A member of a Hindu outfit here allegedly attacked a woman activist Bindu Ammini, who had come as part of a team headed for Sabarimala to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa Shrine, on Tuesday. She was part of the team led by gender rights activist Trupti Desai.

Ammini was attacked using pepper or chilli spray outside the police commissionerate. Visuals aired by TV channels showed her being attacked with pepper spray by a man identified as Srinath Padmanabhan, who was later taken into custody, police said. She has been taken to a hospital here, sources said.

A large number of Ayyappa devotees gathered outside the commissionerate protested against Desai and other activists.

Earlier, Trupti Desai reached the city to proceed to Sabarimala to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine along with few other activists. However, they were taken to the city police commissionerate as soon as they landed at the airport here.Desai said they preferred November 26 to visit the shrine as it was the Constitution Day.

She said she has come up with the 2018 order of the Supreme Court permitting entry of women of all age groups into the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. "I will leave Kerala only after offering prayers at the shrine," the activist said. (With inputs from Agency)

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