KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to inform the steps taken on the suggestion by the vigilance and security wing at Sabarimala regarding the scope of installing scanners for the physical screening of employees and the use of technology for the automatic separation and counting of currency notes, coins, and gold and silver ornaments using robotic mechanism.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice Sunil Thomas on suo motu proceedings initiated by the court regarding installation of CCTV monitor at the Sannidhanam Local Fund Audit Office in order to verify the functions at Sabarimala Bhandaram. The court also asked the TDB to submit a report regarding the counting pattern of ‘Kanikka’ which is being followed in Guruvayur temple.
The Joint Director of Local Fund Audit, Travancore Devaswom Board, also sought a directive to the Secretary of the Devaswom Board to install CCTV at the Sanidhnam to monitor the activities at Sabarimala Bhandaram. K Babu, Special Commissioner, Sabarimala, had also submitted that it was necessary to introduce a new counting mechanism at Bhandaram in association with various banks and volunteers in the wake of the theft of kanikka.
In its order, the court directed the Station House Officer and the Supervisory officer of the Sanidhnam police station to file a report on the progress of investigation into the incidents of theft of Kanikka by some staff engaged for counting it.
TDB Superintendent of Police C P Gopakumar submitted that its vigilance wing had no modern facilities for the effective frisking of the counting staff. The physical inspection of the employees by the ex-servicemen guards of vigilance wing at the exit point of Bhandaram is only limited to the body other than private parts.