Sabarimala virtual queue must be strictly followed: High Court

KOCHI: The High Court has made it clear that only devotees with a valid Sabarimala virtual queue booking pass or spot booking pass should be allowed to enter the Sannidhanam. The court said that the time slot mentioned in the pass must be strictly followed. Those arriving with fake passes or those coming on dates not matching their booking should not be allowed entry. The order was issued by the Devaswom Bench comprising Justice V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K.V. Jayakumar.

The decision is based on a report submitted by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner, which stated that despite the restrictions and virtual queue system, more than one lakh pilgrims are reaching Sannidhanam every day. Currently, 70,000 people can visit Sabarimala per day through the virtual queue system, and 5000 spot bookings are allowed. Around 7000 virtual queue passes were checked, but in many cases, clear information was not available, raising suspicion that fake passes might be in use. Taking note of the Special Commissioner’s report, the court initiated action on its own.