Alappuzha: Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has suspended Keezhsaanthi (assistant priest) N. Sandeep of Ambalapuzha Sree Krishnaswamy temple in connection with the missing of sacred ornaments a day before Vishu festival in April. It had the other day suspended Melsanthi (chief priest) Babu Namboodiri and former administrative officer J. Murukesan. Mr Sandeep and Mr Namboodiri were in charge of the temple on the day.
TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan had told DC that action was taken after its vigilance wing found serious lapse on their part. “Mr Murukesan got promoted after the incident, and he is working as the assistant secretary (audit section). As Karazhma (hereditary right) system follows, the TDB has no right at present to suspend him,” he said. “So we decided to give a letter to the senior priest of the family to replace Mr Namboodiri. For the time being, Suresh Namboothiri, Keezhsaanthi, has been given additional change.”
On April 19, some employees and devotees informed the temple advisory committee members about the missing of the locket, and they approached the TDB. The local police questioned priests and officials of the temple, and when they inched closer to the culprit, the case was handed over to Crime Branch which failed to achieve a breakthrough. The police suspected that the ornament went missing during the temple festival from March 14 to 23 and people having direct access to the strongroom and sanctum sanctorum had a role in it.
When the police tightened the screw, on May 23, the missing ornaments were found in its offering boxes. However, the investigation failed to arrest the culprit. An employee at the temple had died of stroke amidst the inquiry, dealing another blow. Recently the Kerala High Court had sought a report from the police after a section of devotees appealed its intervention.
