The Vigilance wing of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) that investigated the pilferage of gold from the Thiruvabharanam (sacred jewellery) of the presiding deity of Ettumanur Mahadeva Temple has recommended action against a former head priest of the temple.
The investigation team, headed by P. Bijoy, Chief Vigilance Officer, TDB, found Keshavan Sathyesh, a native of Tali in Kasaragod, guilty of replacing the jewelry, a gold plated rudraksha rosary with 81 beads and 21 grams of gold, with a new one with 72 beads. He had served as the temple's head priest during a three-year term that ended in June last year.
The investigation report, submitted to TDB president K. Ananthagopan, also recommends civil and criminal action against the accused priest.
The Vigilance investigation also unearthed a fire incident inside the temple's sanctum sanctorum on January 17 last year. Noting that the accident caused damage to the idol of the main deity, it attributes the incident to negligence on the part of the accused priest and accuses the TDB administrative officer and the temple advisory committee secretary of conspiring with the temple priest to conceal the incident.
The report further calls for verification of the administrative officer’s bank account and the functioning of the temple advisory committee over the past ten years. It also found lapses on the part of the Thiruvabharanam commissioner in verifying the stock of jewels with the temple.
The theft of gold came to light in July last year during a stock verification led by the newly appointed head priest, carried out in the presence of TDB officials. Following this, the board launched a probe besides by the local police.
