In a report submitted before the Supreme Court, amicus curiae Gopal Subramaniam on Saturday said a large quantity of gold, ornaments and other valuables of antique value were smuggled out of Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple.
According to the over-500-page report, temple goldsmith Raju, who also runs a jewellery showroom at Pazhavangadi, had admitted to getting 17 kg of gold and ‘sharapoli malas’, an antique ornament from the temple. He told the amicus curiae that a Tanjore-based jewellers had earlier allegedly smuggled out large quantities of gold in sand-laden lorries. The report further pointed to a huge fraud in connection with the gold plating of Ottakkal Mandapam. Another finding in the report is that several valuable items offered by devotees were pilfered from two storerooms. Priceless anitques, including an idol of the Kulasekhara dynasty, were recovered from a box in the room. The other items found in the box included a gold bar which appeared to have been cut recently. Though several valuables including gold plates were found in the room, they weren’t properly accounted for, which pointed out to smuggling.
The Supreme Court will hear the case pertaining to the temple on Wednesday and consider the report. The report wanted the court to restrain the head of the family from interfering in the everyday affairs of the temple. The amicus curiae also said though the royal family had maintained that the vault identified as Kallara-B wouldn’t be opened for inventorying, there were eyewitness who had seen it open some years back.
“It appears there has been large-scale breach of moral and fiduciary duties towards Sree Padmanaswamy, and the temple which is a public temple has been treated for all effects and purposes as a private fiefdom,” the report observed. the royal family has refused to comment on the report. It is learnt that the family will respond after consulting its lawyer.