In July, the apex court had sentenced 9 convicts to life imprisonment after setting aside their acquittal by the Gujarat High Court in 2011, others had got varied jail terms.
The Sabarimala shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala had opened for the annual 41-day pilgrimage on November 17 (Saturday) marking the beginning of the Mandala Puja
Umar Khalid's father was present during the press briefing where the decision was announced. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas was the one who announced the decision on behalf of the AIMPLB.