Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Case: SC Starts Hearing On Amicus Report

The Supreme Court Bench  headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar has started hearing on Amicu Curiae Gopal Subrahmanyam's latest report in the Padmanabha Swamy Temple. The Bench asked the parties, including the Royal family of Travancore, to respond to the submissions made by the amicus.

The Court will pass an order on a report submitted by senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam, the amicus in the court-monitored case of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, after receiving responses from all the parties.

The court will also pass an order on Subramaniam’s argument that a nodal committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice BN Srikrishna be set up to look after the day-to-day affairs of the temple.

Subramaniam, who submitted a report before the court last month, argued that there are several committees in the temple. Due to overlapping of the numerous committees, a fresh nodal committee should be set up to handle the temple administration.

He referred to the valuation committee, which is handing the value of temple properties, including precious gold and diamond items, and the selection committee and submitted that the temple works were not being done properly.
“The court should appoint a nodal committee to be headed by a retired judge and the executive officer should be a full-time officer. The new Executive Officer V Ratheesan, an IAS officer who succeeded KN Satheesh, can also be included in that panel,” he said.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, asked the parties, including the Royal family of Travancore, to respond to the submissions made by the amicus.

Referring to his report, the senior advocate said eight antique diamonds adorning the forehead of an idol at the temple were missing since 2015 and no FIR was lodged. He said the theft should be probed.
He alleged mismanagement by the temple management.

“Though the diamonds, part of the Namam (tilakam), were officially valued at Rs. 21 lakh, it was a conservative estimate as the value was “far beyond the figure” because of their antiquity,” he said in his report.

He also referred to former CAG Vinod Rai’s report to the court that gold worth Rs. 189 crore was missing from the temple and no account has been recorded.

The CJI-led bench will resume hearing tomorrow.