Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board has decided not to file a report in the Supreme Court on the happenings at Sabarimala recently.
Sabarimala special commissioner M. Manoj, who is also a district judge, has already filed a comprehensive report before the High Court and it has reached the Supreme Court.
A TDB source confirmed that there was no need to file a report again.
TDB president A. Padmakumar had said on Monday that it was the board's discretion whether to file a report or not. This had invited the wrath of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who disapproved of the board’s plan.
The TDB will support the 19 review petitions and the two writ petitions before the Supreme Court which will consider them on November 13.
“We will inform our stand before the Supreme Court as and when it demands it. There is no need to file a report or a review petition,” said TDB member K.P. Sankaradas. The board meeting planned for Wednesday was cancelled.
Mr N. Vasu, TDB commissioner, told DC that standing counsel Bina Madhavan was yet to inform them who would represent the TDB in the Supreme Court after senior Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Singhvi bowed out.
With the TDB president inviting the displeasure of the LDF government, Mr Sankaradas, who is a CPI nominee, is trying to appease the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam and Sabarimala tantri. Mr Sankaradas has maintained that tantri Kantararu Rajeevararu is a mere employee of the temple.
The Chief Minister had on Tuesday suggested that it would not be advisable for the board to present a report to the Supreme Court. “It would be akin to giving others a stick to beat yourself,” he had said.
The Chief Minister has since asked the TDB to take action against the priest and sub-priests of the Sabarimala temple who joined the protest of Ayyappa devotees opposing the entry of women aged between 10 and 50 into the shrine.
