The Bombay High Court on Friday allowed women to enter the inner sanctum of the Haji Ali dargah. The HC said women should be permitted in the dargah along with men and asked the Maharashtra government should ensure their safety. It held the ban on the entry of women in the inner sanctorum of the Haji Ali dargah in Mumbai as unconstitutional and violative of article 14, 15, 21 of the Constitution of India, on Friday. The three articles relate to equality to all no gender discrimination based on religion and right to life and liberty.

The High Court pronounced the judgment after hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by several women activists urging the court to lift restrictions imposed on entry of women in the dargah by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust. The state government had in February said before the Bombay High Court that unless the Dargah Board is able to prove that ban is part of their religious practice with reference to Quran, women should be allowed to enter the inner sanctum. A division bench of Justice VM Kanade and Justice Revati Mohite Dhere asked the Maharashtra government to implement this order allowing the entry of woman.

However, since the trust sought for time to challenge the order in the Supreme Court, the High Court stayed its order for six weeks. The court has asked the state to give necessary protection to the respondents. A PIL in the case was filed in court by Noorjehan Niaz and Zakia Soman of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. Calling the judgement historic, Zakia said, "Our right as per the Quran and the Constitution has been restored."