THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amicus curiae Gopal Subramanyan in his report submitted before the Supreme Court had said that gold was smuggled out of the temple in the past. Gold was mixed with sand and taken out in lorries. The amount of gold stolen is not known. The smugglers had high-level contacts.
The gold smuggled thus was taken to jewelleries in Tanjavur. Later, Jewellery owners donated hundis to the temple to atone their misdeeds.
After interacting with Raju, the person who did jewellery works in the temple, it has become known that he got 17kg gold from the temple. This gold was either converted into money or kept in his possession. 3-kg Sharappoli necklace was also stolen.
The gold bar inside a hundi was seen broken and in rooms inside the temple there was unaccounted gold.
In his report, amicus curiae expresses doubt that the stolen gold might have been stored in nearby palaces. Presence of nitrate in underground racks proves this fact. After the apex court order, the gold might have been transported to the places through secret tunnels.
Donations the temple receives in the form of foreign currencies often go missing and temple officials’ hand is suspected in this case. Money received as donations are not properly accounted by Dhana Laskhmi bank. Prasadams brought from out side are sold off as temple prasadams, which is against the temple tradition.
Priceless mix of herbal spices and condiments used to decorate the Padmanabha Swamy’s idol are sold in black markets. Evidence for this was collected from the rooms of temple security guards.
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