Bengaluru: In a big development, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday formed a larger bench of three senior judges led by the Chief Justice to hear the Hijab row plea, hours after Justice Krishna S Dixit referred the matter to a larger bench.
The 3-judge bench will be led by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit who had already presided on the matter, and Justice Jayabunnisa M Khazi. The next hearing has been scheduled for 2.30 pm on Thursday.
Watch | Hijab Row: An Explainer
Earlier today, the Karnataka HC had heard a group of petitions against the ban on wearing Hijabs across educational institutions in the state. After hearing the arguments, Justice Krishna S Dixit referred the matter to a larger bench, asking the petitioners to seek interim relief after a decision is taken by the Chief Justice.
As protests against the Hijab ban escalated with violence witnessed in some areas, the Karnataka government had announced that schools and colleges will be closed for three days till Sunday.
READ: Hijab row: Karnataka High Court refers issue to larger bench, no interim relief for petitioners
