SC appoints panel to supervise work at Padmanabhaswamy Temple

New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) The Indian Supreme Court on
Thursday appointed a five-member expert committee to supervise
the unearthing and preservation of assets of the Sree
Padmanabhaswamy Temple in southern Indian state Kerala.
The committee will be headed by Director General of
National Museum C V Ananda Bose and will also consist of
representatives of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
and and Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Virtually taking over the work of monitoring
unearthing of assets, a bench headed by justices R V
Raveendran and A K Patnaik said that the expert committee
would submit its report only to this court.
The court also appointed a three-member committee to
oversee the work of unearthing of temple assets.
Criticising media reports on the worth of temple
assets, the court asked the press to show care and restrain
from such speculation.
The three-member overseeing committee will consist of
retired judge of Kerala High Court, Justice M N Krishnan, the
erstwhile Prince of Travancore Marthanda Varma and a
government representative of the rank of secretary.
The court also directed that no unauthorized person
will be allowed to be present at the site of unearthing of
assets and directed that the entire process be videographed
and photographed.
The bench directed the state government to provide
adequate security in the temple premises to protect the assets
which according to media reports are estimated to be over Rs
1.50 lakh crore.
The apex court passed the order on an application
filed by Marthanda Varma and his other family members,
challenging a Kerala High Court ruling of January 31 this
year, ordering takeover of the assets and management of the
shrine by the state.
The bench had earlier expressed apprehension that the
massive wealth was perhaps at a "risk" in view of the
widespread publicity given about it in the media.