HC wants ASI archaeologist transferred back to Keezhadi

Asks Centre to show greater vigour in proceeding with excavations

The excavations had led to promising discovery of an ancient civilisation having thrived on the banks of Vaigai in Keezhadi.

The Madras High Court on Friday impressed on the Centre the need to show greater vigour and interest in proceeding with the excavations that had led to promising discovery of an ancient civilisation having thrived on the banks of river Vaigai at Keezhadi village in Sivaganga district.

Justices R. Mahadevan and P.D. Audikesavalu also insisted that Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) should transfer back its superintending archaeologist K. Amarnath Ramakrishna, serving in Assam since 2017, for continuing the excavations began by him at Keezhadi in 2015.

The judges granted two weeks’ time to the counsel for ASI to get the official transferred back. “When the excavations get completed, the pride of Tamil people would get recognised worldwide but we wonder why the Central government is so adamant on this issue,” Justice Mahadevan lamented.

The oral observations were made during the hearing of a public interest litigation petition filed in the Madurai Bench of the High Court challenging the 2017 transfer of Mr. Ramakrishna. The hearing was held through video conferencing since Justice Audikesavalu was in principal seat of the High Court in Chennai.

Another case

Earlier, hearing another case on the non-maintenance of revenue records of 49 temples in Tiruvannamalai district, the judges ordered that the Collector of the district to appear in person on March 29 and explain the reasons for not maintaining the records as claimed by an advocate commissioner appointed by the court.