Kochi | The Kerala High Court has directed the Vigilance Wing of TDB to examine the originality and quality of the gold used in the sacred artefact, Ezharaponnana, a set of eight golden elephant statuettes at the Ettumannur Mahadeva Temple in Kottayam.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K V Jayakumar, while considering a suo motu case on June 23, directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) 's Chief Vigilance and Security Officer to conduct an inquiry and submit a report before the court.
The Ezharaponnana comprises eight sacred golden elephant statuettes, including seven large and one small, which are taken out only during the annual temple festival procession.
The proceedings were initiated after a devotee, A G Prasad Kumar, filed a complaint before the TDB alleging that the gold plates of the Ezharaponnana had recently undergone repair and renovation.
He alleged that during the work, the original gold plates were removed and replaced with copper or other low-value metals.
The High Court subsequently initiated a suo motu case and sought a report from the TDB.
In an affidavit filed before the court, the TDB enclosed reports submitted by the Administrative Officer and the Assistant Devaswom Commissioner.
The reports stated that all relevant registers had been inspected and cross-verified and that inquiries found no records indicating any maintenance work on the Ezharaponnana or any misappropriation.
The court observed that while there was no reason to disbelieve the findings of the Administrative Officer and the Assistant Devaswom Commissioner, an independent verification by the TDB Vigilance Wing was warranted.
It directed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer to inspect the temple registers as well as the Ezharaponnana and submit a report containing his findings on the allegations.
"During the course of such inquiry, the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer shall also avail the services of a smith so that the weight, quality and originality of the gold are duly examined," the court said.
The matter has been posted for further hearing on July 31.