Kerala High Court Appoints Retired Justice KT Sankaran For Appraisal Of Valuables In Sabarimala Temple

The Kerala High Court on Monday (29 September) appointed Justice K T Sankaran, former Judge of the Kerala High Court, for appraisal of all valuables of the Sabarimala Temple.The Court has stated that the Judge can engage a jewel appraiser of proven expertise to conduct a thorough appraisal of all items in the strong room as well as those recorded in the Thiruvabharanam Register and the items which have been gold cladded. The division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K V Jayakumar, issued the directions while considering the suo motu proceeding concerning the unauthorised removal of the Gold-cladded copper covering of the Dwarapalaka idols and the Peedam on which the idols were fixed, without prior intimidation to the Special Commissioner. Loss of 4 kg of gold from the idols was detected when the matter was heard earlier, pursuant to which an inquiry has been initiated.The bench noted that the details of gold ornaments, silver, precious stones, precious stone, antiques and other valuables offered to the deity are entered in the Thiruvabharanam Register detailing its description, date of presentation, receipt number, and quality ascertained by the Devaswom smith. However, no registers exist for the Dwajasthambham, Dwarapalaka idols, or Peedams. The bench observed that immediate action must be taken to compile digitized inventory of all valuables at Sannidhanam and the current value of the items must be ascertained. “Accordingly, we are of the considered view that a comprehensive inventory of all valuables including gold, silver, precious stones, and articles of antiquity, is essential.” the bench observed. The Court has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to provide all facilities and space required to enable the appraisal. “The objective is to secure an accurate, digitized record of the deity's property to protect against misuse or pilferage. This evaluation is solely for internal safeguarding and not for public dissemination.” bench noted. The Court has directed the learned Judge to submit a report to the Court after the completion of the appraisal and ensure strict confidentiality is maintained throughout the process. The Case is posted on 27 October for further report. Case Title: Suo Motu v State of KeralaCase No: SSCR 23/ 2025Counsel for Respondents: S Rajmohan (Sr. GP), G Biju, R Sudhish, M Manju, K B Pradeep, Kshema Elozabeth Samuel, Aneeta Nirmal MamenAmicus Curiae: Sayujya RadhkrishnanClick Here to Read/ Download Interim Order

Kerala High Court Appoints Retired Justice KT Sankaran For Appraisal Of Valuables In Sabarimala Temple

Anamika MJ

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