A criminal public interest litigation filed in the Bombay High Court on Monday sought a direction to Maharashtra government and Director General of Police to protect women who enter the Shani temple at Shingnapur in Ahmednagar district to worship the deity.

The petition also urged the court to direct the Shaneshwar Devasthan Trust, which manages the temple at Shingnapur village, to stop obstruction of women who want to enter the sanctum sanctorum to offer prayers to God Shani.