Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI investigation into the missing of Swami Raghavendra Theertha
Kerala High Court
Kochi: Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI investigation into the missing of Swami Raghavendra Theertha. The decree has national ramifications as it involves the retrieval of deities and invaluable items belonging to the Kashi Mutt Samsthan. So it is a fit case for a CBI probe, Justice V. Chithambaresh observed.
The court pointed out that this is a case where as many as 234 gold ornaments embedded with diamonds, rubies, emeralds etc. used for adorning the deities in addition to silver articles are to recovered under the decree. The jewellery is reportedly worth crores of rupees.
Justice V. Chithambaresh passed the order on a plea filed by Sudheendra Theertha Swami, the spiritual leader of the Gowda Saraswata Brahmins. According to the petitioner, Raghavendra Theertha, who was in possession of the precious ornaments and idols of the Kashi Mutt, had gone missing.
Raghavendra Theertha was relieved of his discipleship of Swami Sudheendra Theertha in 2000. However, Raghavendra was in possession of the ornaments and idols of the Kashi Mutt. Earlier, the Tirupati Additional District Court had directed Raghavendra Theertha to return the deities and other articles belongings to the mutt.
Govt staff must attend I-Day:
Kerala High Court on Wednesday asked the government to ensure the attendance of its employees at Independence Day celebrations. A division bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice A.M. Shaffique issued the directive while considering a petition filed by Nimisha of Kochi who sought an order asking the government to make sure that all its employees attend the Independence Day celebrations. The state submitted that it had issued a circular on July 20 regarding national day celebrations and Independence Day.
Though the circular directs holding of Independence Day at district level, there is no compulsion on any public servant to attend the ceremony. The petitioner pointed out that the union government had issued a circular making it compulsory for the government officials to attend the celebrations.
National Games: Local Audit dept made party
Kerala High Court on Wednesday made the Local Fund Audit Department a party in a petition seeking a CBI probe into the conduct of the 35th National Games held in Kerala. The court asked the department to submit its stand in the case.
CPM MLA Sivankutty, the petitioner, on Wednesday removed the names of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Sports Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as parties from his plea.
Justice Alexander Thomas had asked him to remove the names as the CBI's report hadn't mentioned anything about their involvement. According to the MLA, there was wholesale corruption in the conduct of national games. The CBI inaction in the matter was illegal, he said.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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