ALAPPUZHA: The appointment of S. Raghunathan Nair, an accused in a case related to the disappearance of holy ornaments from Ambalapuzha Sreekrishna Swamy temple, as the Bhandaram (donation box) special officer at Sabarimala has hampered its investigation.
An assistant commissioner, he had escaped departmental action recommended by devaswom vigilance and instead got promoted to deputy commissioner while others are under suspension for the last two months.
He has ten months left to retire. The vigilance report in Deccan Chronicle possession charges him with negligence and misleading the probe team.
A TDB source said he couldn't be removed abruptly, as he took charge and the season began. He is responsible for ensuring the currency and coins in the vault are sorted, counted and deposited in a bank the same day.
"He is in a key post this season," he told DC.
TDB member K. Raghavan said none of them knew about his appointment, which would be looked into. Though DC tried to contact its president A. Padmakumar for a comment, he was not available.
In 2014, a report submitted by the joint director of the Local Fund Audit to the Kerala High Court had exposed the theft of Bhandaram collection at the hill shrine.
The audit wing found "serious omissions and commissions" while verifying the Mahazar prepared by the Bhandaram special officer in Kanikka collection on November 16, 2013.
Last year, there were reports of coins worth crores of rupees left uncounted. For last many years there were swindling, and smuggling of foreign currency reported.
The state temple anti-theft squad (STATS) under Kerala police launched the probe into the Ambalappuzha temple incident after a High Court intervention.
They reached the temple on Monday but returned without meeting Mr Nair as he was away in Sabarimala.
R. Rajesh, the investigation officer, said the probe could get delayed because of his new appointment. "It's not right to summon him till the season is over," he said.
The vigilance had found pendants numbered 26, 28 and 29 and chains of seven others missing from the strongroom.
