ALAPPUZHA: The Sri Krishnaswamy temple at Ambalappuzha, from where a 500-year-old locket has gone missing, has a history of such incidents. A decade ago, a precious accessory on the 500-year-old golden umbrella weighing over 400 sovereigns had disappeared. That incident came to light after the devaswom officials draped the rib of the umbrella with rag to cover up the missing of the ornaments. However, the Travancore Devaswom Board wound up the investigation after concluding that the ornament had ‘worn off.’ At that time, K.S. Sujatha Kumari was administrative officer. She was later held guilty of stealing 28 gm gold from Malayalappuzha temple while she was administrative officer.
As per an RTI reply received on August 14, 2013, the board had decided to censure Sujatha Kumari, but she was let off though she was accused of misappropriation at the Ambalappuzha temple. The investigation into the missing of the precious fitting reached nowhere and the value was never estimated. The local people allege that the missing of ornaments has become a regular affair because of the recklessness of the board officials and have demanded an independent inquiry. Mr C. Radhakrishnan, a social activist at Ambalappuzha, blamed the devaswom officials for the repeated incidents.
On August 12, 2010, a division bench of Kerala High Court had ordered the board not to allow delinquent employees to continue in service just because they compensate the loss caused by them. However, this order was violated by the TDB by posting tainted officials in key posts of temple administration, he said. The latest incident too was covered up for several weeks by the temple officials. Nobody knows the real value of the precious stones attached to the pendant. According to the Amabalappuzha police, the sacred ornaments are being kept in the strong rooms and guarded by security men. They are taken out of the room only during important days in presence of devaswom assistant commissioner and administrative officer. “The value of the pendant is estimated at Rs 3 lakh. We have taken the statement from the devaswom officials and the chief priest,” said Mr M. Viswambharan, Circle Inspector.
