Principal Sessions and District Judge V. Shircy has found fault with the executive officer of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple for not carrying out the orders of the Supreme Court-appointed Administrative Committee (AC).
Ms. Shircy, as the District Judge, is the chairperson of the committee that supervises the functioning of the temple. In a sharp communiqué to K.N. Satheesh, State-appointed executive officer on Friday, Ms. Shircy said “there were serious lapses” on his part and the committee had viewed his conduct with “disfavour.”
(The temple had come under international media glare in 2010 when it was revealed that its ancient subterranean vaults hid antique treasures. In 2011, the Supreme Court ordered that the vaults be opened to make an inventory of the treasures within. The royal family of erstwhile Travancore is also fighting several cases in the apex court to wrest back control of their ancestral temple.)
Maintaining norms
Ms. Shircy said in her notice that the Supreme Court had ordered in “unmistakable terms” that the “long-standing conventions, rituals and customs” of the temple should not be disturbed under “any circumstances.”
On February 28, the committee decided to restore the traditional practice of applying sandalwood paste on the three main deities of the temple on the eight days corresponding with the birth dates (according to Malayalam astrological almanac) of the rulers of erstwhile Travancore.
However, the trustees, who are members of erstwhile ruling family, had complained to the chairperson that the decision was not complied with. Ms. Shircy set a deadline of June 20 for Mr. Satheesh to explain why.
She also directed Mr. Satheesh to disburse the salary and benefits due to the Chief Nambi, Uparnam Narasimham Kumar, who retired on April 22, 2016, after verifying his liabilities, if any. Mr. Satheesh has to report his compliance to the order in writing on or before June 20.
Ms. Shircy also observed as “highly irregular” Mr. Satheesh’s “practice” of placing several employees of the temple under suspension. She has called for the files pertaining to the suspended employees.
Directive on files
The judge said that files have to be presented before the committee on or before June 20, failing which she would be forced to nullify Mr. Satheesh’s orders and reinstate the suspended officials with retrospective effect. Ms. Shircy also observed that the failure to comply with the directives of the administrative committee would be “viewed seriously and further action will follow.”
Stern action
A custom was not restored as per the panel ruling
Deadline set for officer to give explanation
Suspension of employees criticised
Published - June 11, 2016 12:00 am IST
