THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is yet to be ascertained when the eight priceless diamonds that adorned the ‘naamam’ (tilak) of the idol at the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple went missing, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday.
The mystery of the missing diamonds made its way into the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday after K Muraleedharan MLA raised the matter through an unstarred query. A Crime Branch investigation is in progress and only after its conclusion can there be any clarity regarding the diamonds or the theft, the Chief Minister said.
The reported theft had kicked up a storm earlier this year as they were an integral part of the rituals at the temple. The incident comes right on the heels of the Vinod Rai panel reporting that gold worth Rs 186 crore has gone missing from the vaults. Although officially tagged at Rs 21 lakh, the diamonds are estimated to cost much more due to their antiquity.
The incident had been reported to the SC by the amicus curiae. Initially, the Fort Police registered a case on the missing diamonds based on a complaint lodged by former temple manager D Venugopal. The case has been handed over to Crime Branch.