MADURAI: Irked over the continued disobedience of its directions in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition alleging non-availability of several idols and ornaments belonging to the Adikesava Perumal temple at Thiruvattar in Kanniyakumari district for public display, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday appointed a retired high court judge to look into the matter and file a report to the court within three months.
A bench comprising Justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri, which gave the direction, further imposed Rs 50,000 cost on HR&CE joint commissioner (JC) Rathinavelpandian, who failed to obey the court’s order and recommended disciplinary action against him.
The PIL was filed by Sree Adhikesava Seva Trust, represented by its secretary N Thangappan.
According to the petition, the temple authorities are not keeping the gold ornaments, armour and old kalasams in the temple for public view. Despite various directions issued by the high court, the authorities have not recovered the gold ornaments that were stolen from the temple in 1992, later found and kept in the custody of the lower court.
The gold sivalingam that was present in the moolasthanam is also not available now, he further alleged.