3 months ago
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The High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reportedly recorded the connection of Union Minister Suresh Gopi to quantify the golden donated for the installation of a caller gilded flagmast (Kodimaram) successful beforehand of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple successful 2017.
Mr. Gopi was among 27 persons who donated golden and currency for the installation of the flagmast. Officials said actors Mohanlal and Renji Panicker, and movie shaper M. Renjith, were among the donors, and that the SIT would grounds their statements.
The High Court had ordered the SIT to probe the alleged irregularities successful the operation of the flagmast. Advocate commissioners appointed by the High Court had earlier flagged discrepancies successful the accounting for golden and currency collected from devotees, including 27 affluent donors and immoderate celebrities, for golden plating the flasgmast.
Moreover, the past Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), headed by Congress person Prayar Gopalakrishnan, and backed by the temple’s priestly orthodoxy, had demanded a caller flagmast based connected the premise that the earlier one, made successful concrete, had go “termite-infested”, inviting the “displeasure of the presiding deity.”
The High Court had besides asked the SIT to probe however overmuch golden was utilized successful the operation of the Kodimaram and whether determination was immoderate constituent of misappropriation.
Officials said the latest developments successful the SIT probe were besides linked to the seizure of the gold-plated equine idol (Vajivahanam) from the apical of the aged flagmast astatine the residence of the main clergyman (Tantri), Kandararu Rajeevaru, astatine Chenganoor successful January. The SIT had produced the artefact successful the Vigilance tribunal successful Kollam, indicting the Tantri for unauthorised possession of nationalist property.
The SIT was besides investigating the TDB’s 2017 determination to acquisition the Vajivahanam to the Tantri. Congress person and erstwhile TDB subordinate Ajay Tharayil has defended the decision. He had said the artefact removed from the aged flagmast was the Tantri’s right. He besides claimed that the High Court-appointed advocator commissioner had approved of the TDB’s.
