Amicus curiae and senior advocate Gopal Subramanium on Wednesday sought an independent probe by a Special Investigation Team led by the CBI Director into the financial management and “pilferage” of gold, silver, jewels and valuable artefacts of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Kerala.
In a short note handed over to a Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, Mr. Subramanium said: “It has been noticed and found by the amicus curiae as well as the Special Audit Authority led by Vinod Rai (former Comptroller and Auditor General of India) that gold, silver and other valuable artefacts and jewels of the Padmanabha Swamy temple have gone missing over the years.”
Mr. Subramanium said he himself had found 35 kg of gold bars kept hidden on the temple premises.
Pointing to the final report of the Rai-led Special Audit Authority appointed by the Supreme Court on March 28, 2016, the amicus curiae submitted that proper records and inventories of the wealth of the temple were not maintained. The amicus curiae report on April 15, 2014 itself had reported “substantial financial mismanagement, irregularities and lack of accounting of ornaments and other articles belonging to the temple,” the note said.
‘Open vault B’
The amicus curiae also urged the court to order the opening of kallara (vault) ‘B’ so that the inventorying process of the jewels and treasures of the temple is complete. “The opinions of the tantris and the Kanipayoor Namboodiripad may be ascertained and the opening of kallara ‘B’ may be carried out in accordance with traditions, customs and practices of the temple,” Mr. Subramanium submitted in the court.
