HC directs temple official to file fresh counter on missing

The Madras High Court has directed a senior official of Sri Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram to file a fresh counter pertaining to the missing temple jewels, saying the counter filed already was not satisfactory.

A division bench of Justices M Venugopal and Abdul Qudhose directed the Joint Commissioner of Sri Ramanathaswamy temple to file another counter saying the one filed by him was not satisfactory.

When the matter came up yesterday the Joint Commissioner of Sri Ramanathaswamy temple denied the allegation that 12 jewel items adorning goddess Sri Parvathavarthini went missing from the records after 1995.

He submitted that the jewels had been melted or damaged according to the temple register.

The Joint Commissioner filed his counter in response to the PIL filed by one Pakshi Sivarajan seeking a court direction to the temple authorities to trace the missing jewels.

According to the PIL petitioner the missing jewels included highly precious and invaluable 'Marakatha tilak and Blue tilak.'

The JC also informed the court that the gold-coated bell of the temple was also safe.

After examination it was found that the idol had suffered wear and tear due to anointment for centuries, and the same had been rectified by the Sthapathi, he added.

The allegations of the petitioner were derogatory and scandalous, the official said.