A single judge Bench of the High Court of Karnataka directed the registry to place the petitions questioning the ban on wearing of hijab by Muslim girl students in colleges before the Chief Justice for constituting a larger Bench.

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“Considering the enormity of the importance of questions of law debated, this court is of the considered opinion that the petition papers be put at the hands of the honourable Chief Justice to consider if a larger Bench can be constituted in the subject matter,” said Justice Krishna S. Dixit in his brief order.

On the request of the advocates representing petitioner Muslim girl students from Udupi district to permit the petitioners to attend classes wearing a hijab as an interim measure till a larger Bench is set up, the court said that arguments for an interim order can be made before the larger Bench constituted by the Chief Justice.

Earlier, the Judge orally indicated that the practice in courts shows that larger Benches had decided legal issues related to personal laws.

On February 8, the court had heard partial arguments on behalf of one of the petitioners questioning the validity of the Government Order issued on February 5 empowering school and per-university college authorities to prescribe uniforms in the respective educational institution.