Deputy Commissioner C. Shikha, who is also the Executive Officer of Mysuru Palace Board, has ordered an inquiry into the reported photo-shoot inside the palace premises.
The Palace Board’s decision to order an inquiry comes after the photographs of a couple posing for a fashion photo-shoot inside the Durbar Hall premises were shared on social media platforms even though photography is prohibited inside the main building of the Palace.
“We have not given permission to anybody to shoot photographs inside the Palace. Chief Secretary of the State, who is also the Chairperson of the Mysuru Palace Board, is the competent authority for issuing permission. Whenever a movie director or a producer approaches us for permission, we forward the same to the Chief Secretary”, Ms. Shikha told The Hindu .
“Even if permission for photography is given, it is restricted to outside the Palace. No permission has been given for photography inside”, she added. Referring to the photographs of the posing couple, Ms. Shikha said the photos do not appear to have been taken in a hurried manner. “It has been done in a professional manner.”
An inquiry was necessary when photography seems to have taken place even though no permission had been issued by the Palace Board, Ms. Shikha said.
Police complaint
The Palace Board has lodged a police complaint against alleged trespassing. “We have given a police complaint to City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda”, Ms, Shikha said.
The police will investigate whether anybody entered the premises unauthorisedly and took photographs.
Though Palace Board’s Deputy Director T.S. Subramanya did not take calls, he is reported to have informed the royal family representatives that the photographs were “computer-generated”. Mr. Subramanya was quoted as having told the royal family representatives that the photographs of the couple had been juxtaposed against the background of the Durbar Hall, which can be easily obtained from a virtual tour of Mysore Palace available by accessing its official website.
Meanwhile, Palace Secretary Lakshminarayan said the royal family strongly objects to photography inside the Palace premises. He welcomed the probe ordered by the Deputy Commissioner.
